
Give that southern staple a fun makeover. The custardy base is kissed with honey to give it a nice depth of flavor. While the origins of the chess pie name are up for debate, the fact that it's good isn't. Go ahead and whip one up for dessert today!
Kristie was in Nashville, Tennessee recently and was lucky enough to go to the Loveless Cafe. I asked her to bring me home their cookbooks.
For our family dinner this week, I decided to make the entire meal out of those cookbooks. The recipe for this honey chess pie is in the book titled "Desserts From The Famous Loveless Cafe."
I chose to use my regular flaky pie crust recipe for this. The filling is taken directly from the cookbook.
-MiMi

Chess pies are new to us lifelong mid-westerners. Though it seems like many of the Southern cooks have a version.
Being new to me, I did a little looking around to see where the chess name came from. It just seems like such an odd name for a pie.
I will share what my pursuit of the truth taught me, though I am not sure it will clear the question entirely. I suppose we'll just have to eat another slice of pie while we ponder it!
It seems like there are a handful of opinions. The recipes go back as far as the 1700s, where there was a recipe for making cheese pie without cheese curd.

Basically it describes making a custard and turning it into a pie. So that leads to the idea that chess comes from a pronunciation of cheese.
Which does make we wonder what kind of cheese pie they were making in the 1700s. Perhaps a farmer's cheese version of a cheesecake type pie?
Or it could be that the chess comes from chest. It is said that this pie is so sweet it can be kept in a chest rather than being refrigerated.
The last idea is that chess is how somebody wrote out the pronunciation of 'jes as it in it's 'jes a pie.
Who knows?! No matter where the name came from, it is a tasty pie. It has the same custardy texture as a pumpkin pie, but without the pumpkin or spice.

Instead it has a nice honey flavor that hits you as you swallow. I have read about a lemon buttermilk chess pie... I think a bigger splash of lemon would be great in this pie as well!
Maybe our next chess pie should be a honey lemon chess pie. If you want to easily kick up the lemon flavor in this pie without throwing off the liquid balance, you could easily add a teaspoon of lemon extract or a little bit of lemon zest.
Tips for serving your honey chess pie:
- Refrigerating this pie will make it easier to cut.
- It tastes better at room temperature. Sometimes cold temperature can dull the flavors.
- It is suggested to chill the pie thoroughly and cut it into slices and let them stand on their plates for at least a half hour before serving.

Some other old fashioned pie recipes you will love:
- If you have never tried a Baked Peanut Butter Pie, you simply have to. It is another custard-y textured pie but loaded with peanut butter flavor. It is almost like a silky smooth peanut version of pecan pie.
- Believe it or not, some people also Oatmeal Pie to pecan pie. The mix of oatmeal and coconut sounds strange, but it really makes for a fabulous pie filling.
- We love making Blackberry Pie with berries from our backyard. A slice of warm pie and a scoop of ice cream is a little bit of summer heaven.
- Another great honey and lemon pairing in pie form is Lemon Pie with Honeyed Whipped Cream. It is creamy and delicious.

Yield: 12 servings

Honey Chess Pie
Enjoy this honey sweetened twist on a chess pie. With a kiss of lemon, honey richness and lots of chess pie goodness, it is a perfect treat for almost any occasion!
prep time: 15 Mcook time: 55 Mtotal time: 70 M
ingredients:
- 1 recipe pie crust dough
- 1 egg white
- pinch of salt
- 3/4 cup honey
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 9 Tablespoons butter, softened
- 3 Tablespoons cornmeal, preferably white
- 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 4 eggs, room temperature
- 3 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
instructions:
How to cook Honey Chess Pie
- Make dough for pie crust. Roll the dough and fit it into pie pan. Put it in the refrigerator for at least a half hour to chill.
- Preheat the oven to 375 F. Take dough out of the refrigerator and prick with a fork all over the bottom. Line the pie shell with parchment paper and fill with dry beans or pie weights.
- Bake for 10 minutes or until the edges start to set. Remove the parchment paper and pie weights and brush the bottom lightly with an egg white that has been lightly beaten with a pinch of salt added to prevent sogginess.
- Return to the oven for an additional 5 minutes, until the crust is lightly golden brown. Let cool before filling.
- To make the filling: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Place the par baked pie shell on a baking sheet and set aside.
- Place the honey, brown sugar, butter, cornmeal, flour, vanilla and cinnamon in a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is smooth.
- With the machine running, add the eggs, one at a time, processing until blended. Scrape the bowl after each addition. With the machine on, add the lemon juice and then the heavy cream through the feed tube.
- Scrape the filling into the pie shell. It will be runnier than you might expect, but it will set up. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the edges puff up slightly and the center is firm. Let cool completely before serving.
Calories
331.13
331.13
Fat (grams)
17.53
17.53
Sat. Fat (grams)
9.34
9.34
Carbs (grams)
41.58
41.58
Fiber (grams)
0.64
0.64
Net carbs
40.93
40.93
Sugar (grams)
28.91
28.91
Protein (grams)
3.62
3.62
Sodium (milligrams)
193.23
193.23
Cholesterol (grams)
92.28
92.28
Copyright: Cooking With Carlee 2019


Shared at the Weekend Potluck and Meal Plan Monday
Holy moley! That's a slice of delicious heart attack right there. Want!
ReplyDeleteSometimes it is worth it ;-)
DeleteYum!
ReplyDeleteYum! That looks good- I am a pie person. :)
ReplyDeleteI am becoming one too! I used to really lean toward cakes, but lately I have been more into pies and cookies.
DeleteThis looks really good. I had never heard of chess pie but boy I think I would love it! Found you on the Tips and Tricks party!
ReplyDeleteI had never tried one either before MiMi made this one and it was delicious!
DeleteThis looks so yummy!! I love going to amazing one-of-a-kind cafes and being able to to buy their cookbook...it makes everything inside the pages extra special, and I bet this pie is no exception! :) Pinned!
ReplyDeleteI love them too! It is so much more fun than going to a chain. Plus you get the feeling that they are making their pies just the way grandma taught them!
DeleteI love that you made your family dinner from the cafe's cookbook! This honey chess pie, no matter where the name comes from, sounds amazing! Thanks for sharing at What'd You Do This Weekend?!
ReplyDeleteIt was a lot of fun and the pie was delicious! Thanks for hosting!
DeleteYum yum yum! This looks soooo delicious. Stopping by from Lady Behind the Curtain - would love for you to stop by my baking blog to say hello! x
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteThanks for another yummy pie Carlee, thanks for sharing on #wednesdayswisdom
ReplyDeleteWe have really been on a pie kick around here lately! Thanks for hosting and have a great weekend!
DeleteSOMEDAY I will finally break down and make a chess pie so I can taste one!! I keep hearing about them but have yet to try it myself. :) Thank you so much for linking up at Snickerdoodle Sunday- hope to see you again this weekend!
ReplyDeleteSarah (Sadie Seasongoods)
That's part of the reason why we chose this recipe! We had heard of chess pies but never had one. They aren't common in our area. Thanks for hosting, see you next weekend!
DeleteThis looks yummy!
ReplyDeleteThank you, it really was!
DeleteI'm in love with this! Thank you for sharing this with us! Pinned and tweeted! I hope to see you at tonight's party. We are always so impressed with your creations and can't wait to see them! Lou Lou Girls
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteI cannot wait to try this! Thank you so much for linking up at Tasty Tuesday! Your recipe has been pinned to the Tasty Tuesday Pinterest board! Please join us again this week!
ReplyDeleteI hope you love it! Thanks for hosting!
DeleteChess pie - that takes me back to my childhood!
ReplyDeleteI am glad we finally tried one! They aren't common in our area, but I had heard a lot about them.
DeleteYum! Thanks so much for sharing with us at #HomeMattersParty. Hope you join us again next week! The door opens Friday EST.
ReplyDeleteIt really was delicious! Thanks for hosting, see you next week!
DeleteHm. I always wondered why it was called a chess pie... Sounds yummy!
ReplyDeleteIt seems like we may never know the real answer!!
DeleteThis looks amazing!! Thanks for Linking up on My 2 Favorite Things on Thursday!! Hope to see you again tomorrow!! I love having You!! Pinned!!
ReplyDeleteThanks and thanks for hosting! See you tomorrow!
DeleteThis is a beautiful pie and I can't wait to try it. Thanks so much for sharing your post with Full Plate Thursday and have a great day!
ReplyDeleteCome Back Soon,
Miz Helen
It was very tasty and fun to try something new! Thanks so much for hosting!
DeleteThese do look like slices of heaven and I love the idea make it a whole meal from a beloved cookbook.
ReplyDeleteI have never heard of Chess Pie. It does look delicious however! I think that I will have to take a try at it.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday and come back to see us real soon!
ReplyDeleteMiz Helen