Chess Pie is a southern thing. The name assumably derives from verbal auto-correct. “It’s just pie” in the south comes out “Jes’ pa” which auto-corrects to “Chess pie.” It’s one of those pies that’s delicious, but unless you are familiar with it, you really have no idea what’s actually in it. The original Chess Pie and this Lemon Chess Pie differ only slightly, swapping out the lemon juice with white vinegar and vanilla extract. Either one are extremely easy and inexpensive to make, using ingredients you most likely already have in your ice box.
Lemon Chess Pie
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon yellow cornmeal
4 eggs
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup milk (or buttermilk)
Grated lemon zest from 1 lemon
1/4 cup lemon juice*
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 9-inch pie shell (uncooked)
* for traditional Chess pie substitute lemon juice with 1 tablespoon white vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk together sugar, flour, and cornmeal in a large bowl.
Add eggs, melted butter, milk, lemon rind, lemon juice, and salt. Whisk well.
Pour into pie shell. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 300º and bake for another 40 to 45 minutes.
It will still be fairly jiggly but will firm up as it cools down. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Lemon Chess Pie
Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 tbsp flour
- 1 tbsp yellow cornmeal
- 4 eggs
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 1/4 cup milk (or buttermilk)
- grated lemon zest from 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 9-inch pie shell
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375º. Whisk together sugar, flour, and cornmeal in a large bowl.
- Add eggs, melted butter, milk, lemon rind, lemon juice, and salt and whisk well.
- Pour into pie shell. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 300º and bake for another 40 to 45 minutes.
- It will still be fairly jiggly but will firm up as it cools down. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
