Chess Pie

Name: Chess Pie
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: pie crust 1 pcs; sugar 220 g; unsalted butter 80 g; eggs 3 ea; milk 60 ml; cornstarch 15 g; lemon juice 1 tbsp

Quick answer

Active time: 65 min
Waiting: See the steps
Level: Easy
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients: 7

About this dish

Sugar, butter and eggs make up nearly all of the filling in this Southern pie, yet the oven turns them into two textures: a thin, crackly top over a dense, caramel-tasting custard.

As it cools the center firms to an almost fudge-like density, and it comes to the table at room temperature with a little unsweetened whipped cream.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmount

pie crust1 pcs

eggs3 ea

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Instructions

6 steps

1

Heat the oven to 170°C and press 1 pie crust firmly into the pie tin, making sure it sits against the corners.

Prick the base all over with a fork so steam can escape and the crust puffs less.
2

Pre-bake the crust at 170°C for 10 minutes.

Take it out when the edges begin to look dry and the base feels lightly set, then let it cool briefly so the hot crust does not scramble the filling.
3

Melt 80g unsalted butter, then let it cool until warm rather than hot.

Whisk in 220g sugar, sift in 15g cornstarch, and mix until no dry lumps remain, which helps the custard bake evenly.
4

Add the 3 eggs one at a time, whisking fully after each addition before adding the next.

Stir in 60ml milk and 1 tbsp lemon juice until the filling looks glossy and even, without streaks of egg.
5

Pour the filling slowly into the cooled crust and smooth any large bubbles on the surface.

Bake at 163°C for 40-45 minutes, loosely covering with foil if the top browns before the center is properly set.
6

Remove the pie when the edges are set but the center still trembles slightly when the tin is moved.

Cool on a wire rack for at least 2 hours so the custard finishes setting, then slice at room temperature.