Chess Pie

By gmgaston

A true Southern classic, as is its name. Chess pie has nothing to do with the board game; one folk etymology suggests that it was referred to as "just pie", which soon shortened to "jus' pie" or "jess' pie," and then corrupted to "chess pie". Sounds right to me!

Ingredients

• For the crust (makes enough for two crust):
• 2 cups of flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup milk
• For the filling:
• 3 eggs
• 1 stick of butter
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 tablespoon of yellow corn meal
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• The juice from 1 and 1/2 lemons (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 teaspoon of lemon zest

Preparation

Step 1

For the crust:
Mix flour and salt. Mix oil and milk. Pour oil and milk into flour and salt and stir until combined into a dough. Can add more milk if dry. Separate into two balls (save one ball for another pie). Roll crust out between two sheets of wax paper, line a pie pan with crust.

For the filling:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
Melt the butter.
Mix the sugar in with the butter.
Beat the eggs and add vanilla, corn meal, lemon juice and zest.
Add egg mixture to butter and sugar, and mix well.
Pour filling into an unbaked pie shell and bake at 350 for 50 minutes.
Let cool for 20 minutes (so filling can set).

Filling makes enough for one pie