Chess pie explained

Chess pie
Country:England
Type:Pie
Main Ingredient:Pie crust, eggs, butter, granulated sugar, vanilla, corn meal
Variations:Lemon chess pie, vinegar pie

Chess pie is a dessert with a filling composed mainly of flour, butter, sugar, eggs, and sometimes milk, characteristic of Southern United States cuisine.

Jefferson Davis pie is similar to chess pie, but Jefferson Davis pie may also contain spices, nuts, or dried fruits and is usually topped with meringue.[1]

History

It's unknown where the name chess pie came from, although there are several well-known theories.[2] The most likely is "chess-cake pie", as in cheese cake pie, became chess pie over time.[3] Martha Washington's Chess Cake recipe is very similar to today's chess pie.[4] [5] The 1881 cookbook Buckeye Cookery—With Hints on Practical Housekeeping included a recipe submitted by Mrs. J. Carson of Glendale, Minnesota. The recipe maintained the basic custard ingredients of eggs, butter, and sugar, but the egg whites were whipped into a meringue and spread on top.[6]

One of the most popular theories is that it is an eggcorn of "It's just pie" due to a misinterpretation of the pronunciation "It's jes' pie" in Southern American English. The pie was thought to be so simple any home cook with eggs, butter and sugar would know what to do.[5] [7] [8]

It is the South's most searched for Thanksgiving Pie.[9] Despite the pie's iconic status in the South, no recipe for "Chess Pie" appears in the first Southern cookbook, Mary Randolph's 1824 The Virginia Housewife. One food historian explains the early recipes for transparent pudding, such as "Mary Randolph's Transparent Pudding" (containing no milk) in the 1825 edition are "for all intents and purposes chess pie". Recipes for "Chess Pie" made without milk can be found in early 20th-century cookbooks.[10]

Variations of the chess pie include transparent pie, molasses pie, brown sugar pie, syrup pie, and vinegar pie.[11]

Composition

The basic chess pie recipe calls for the preparation of a single crust and a filling composed of flour, butter, sugar, and eggs and milk or condensed milk. Some variations call for the addition of cornmeal as a thickener. Many recipes call for an acid such as vinegar, buttermilk, or lemon juice.[12] [13]

Recipes dating from the 19th century typically including eggs, butter, sugar, and vinegar baked in a pie crust, with regional variations.[14]

In addition to standard chess pie, other flavor variations include lemon, coconut, and chocolate chess pie.[15] Some nut pies, including some pecan, fall under the category of chess pies.[16] Traditional pecan pie recipes do not include milk or condensed milk in the filling, and are typically regarded as a type of sugar pie similar to British treacle rather than a milk-containing custard (see).

See also

References

Works cited

Notes and References

  1. Encyclopedia: 2007 . Pastries . The Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink . Oxford University Press . Kaufman . Cathy K. . Smith . Andrew F. . 438 . 978-0-19-530796-2 . 71833329.
  2. Web site: Chess pie . Britannica . September 11, 2024 . March 14, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230314094622/https://www.britannica.com/topic/chess-pie . live .
  3. Web site: chess pie . 2024-09-11 . Dictionary of American Regional English . April 17, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240417122201/https://dare.wisc.edu/words/quarterly-updates/quarterly-update-17/chess-pie/ . live .
  4. Web site: Calta . Marialisa . 2012-02-13 . We cannot tell a lie: this cake looks a lot like a pie . The Oklahoman . September 11, 2024 . September 11, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240911040258/https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2012/02/13/we-cannot-tell-a-lie-this-cake-looks-a-lot-like-a-pie/61096875007/ . live .
  5. Web site: Cathey . Dave . 2016-01-06 . A dessert gambit: Oklahoma cafeteria's closing brings the Food Dude to search for a chess pie recipe . The Oklahoman . September 11, 2024 . September 11, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240911040257/https://www.oklahoman.com/story/entertainment/columns/dave-cathey/2016/01/06/a-dessert-gambit-oklahoma-cafeterias-closing-brings-the-food-dude-to-search-for-a-chess-pie-recipe/60700232007/ . live .
  6. Book: Wilcox . Estelle Woods . Buckeye Cookery: With Hints on Practical Housekeeping . 1881 . Buckeye Publishing Company . 217 .
  7. Web site: Salkeld . Lauren . Sep 8, 2022 . What Exactly Is Chess Pie? . The Kitchn.
  8. News: Donovan . Lisa . 2018-12-17 . I wanted the real story behind chess pie's name. But no one wanted to talk about it. . 2024-09-11 . Washington Post . December 3, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211203040429/https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/i-wanted-the-real-story-behind-chess-pies-name-but-no-one-wanted-to-talk-about-it/2018/12/17/ab387360-fcca-11e8-ad40-cdfd0e0dd65a_story.html . live .
  9. Web site: Cericola . Lisa . August 29, 2024 . October 13, 2023 . Even We Were Surprised By The South's Most Searched For Thanksgiving Pie . https://web.archive.org/web/20240427005237/https://www.southernliving.com/chess-pie-favorite-thanksgiving-pie-8349850 . 2024-04-27 . Southern Living.
  10. Web site: Anderson . Jean . 2012-03-14 . The South's Storied Chess Pie: Food + Cooking . 2024-09-11 . gourmet.com . September 14, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240914155524/http://www.gourmet.com.s3-website-us-east-1.amazonaws.com/food/gourmetlive/2012/031412/the-souths-storied-chess-pie.html . live .
  11. Book: McDermott, Nancie . Southern Pies: A Gracious Plenty of Pie Recipes, From Lemon Chess to Chocolate Pecan . September 2010 . Chronicle Books . 978-0-8118-6992-8 . 12 September 2024 . September 14, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240914155524/https://books.google.com/books?id=BkRvhbmZ5QMC&dq=compendium&pg=PT94#v=onepage&q=compendium&f=false . live .
  12. News: Rattray . Diana . Southern Chess Pie: Tips and Variations . 2018-02-21 . The Spruce . February 22, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180222045035/https://www.thespruce.com/chess-pie-recipes-and-pie-making-tips-3034486 . live .
  13. Web site: Chess Pie Recipes: Taste of the South . 2013-05-13 . Southern Living . May 14, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130514123029/http://www.southernliving.com/food/kitchen-assistant/chess-pie-recipes-00417000072438/ . live .
  14. Book: Huggins . Mollie . Tried and True: Tennessee Model Household Guide. Practical Help in Household . 1897 . Publishing House Methodist Episcopal Church, South . 142 . en.
  15. Web site: Schneider . Crady . 2017-03-14 . Chess Pie: Nothing More Southern . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20180222044203/http://porterbriggs.com/chess-pie/ . 2018-02-22 . 2017-06-19 . Porter Briggs.
  16. Web site: Galarza . Daniela . 2015-07-01 . Everything You Need to Know About Classic American Pie . 2018-02-21 . Eater . December 3, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211203042828/https://www.eater.com/2015/7/1/8872413/pie-crust-apple-cream-custard-chess-styles-where-to-eat . live .

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