For special occasions, chocolate chess pie is a top choice for the crowd around the Casa Bouquet table. This old-time recipe has a rich, dark chocolate taste.
You will need a pastry piecrust in an 8- or 9-inch pan, a small mixing bowl and spoon, a piecrust shield, and a glass measuring cup for melting the butter and chocolate.
Start with an 8 inch pie shell (I use Pillsbury, from the dairy case. Follow directions carefully, sprinkling both sides with flour.) [I’m not a good piecrust maker. Please feel free to look up some of the excellent recipes that use iced water and leaf lard and make one from scratch!] Drape the crust into the pie pan so that it is hanging past the pan evenly all around. Fold the edges in to the pan and crimp by pushing your left index finger into your right thumb and index finger (or vice versa!).
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees with the rack in the center.
Cut the butter into 4 or 6 chunks and place in a glass measuring cup with the chocolate. I used 70% dark chocolate from our local chocolatier, Videri Chocolate Factory. Put in the microwave and heat 20 seconds at a time until the butter and chocolate look soft.
In a mixing bowl, mix the flour and sugars. Add the chocolate and butter and stir. Add all the ingredients and mix well.
Pour into pie shell and cover crust edge with piecrust shield or strips of aluminum foil. Bake in a 350o oven for 25 minutes, until the pie cracks on top. It will look a little glossy, like the top of a pan of brownies. We eat ours as is, but this lovely chocolate chess pie lends itself well to a topping.
Pie should look like a glossy brownie on top. Serve as is or with a topping.
Ingredients
- 8 or 9 inch pastry pie shell
- 4 tbsp 70% dark chocolate (or 1.5 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate)
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3/4 brown sugar
- 2 tbsp flour
- 2 tbsp milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Prepare the piecrust (dust both sides with flour).
- Mix butter and chocolate together over low heat to melt (this can be done in microwave. Heat 20 sec at a time).
- Mix flour and sugar. Add chocolate butter mixture. Add all ingredients. Mix well.
- Pour into pie shell. Cover the edges of the crust with aluminum foil or pie guard to make a prettier pie.
- Bake at 350 for 25 minutes until pie cracks on top.
Nutrition facts
Resource links
- http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/PieHistory/ChessPie.htm
- History of chess pie from Linda Stradley’s What’s Cooking America
- http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodpies.html#chess
- Origin of chess pie from Food Timeline
- http://www.lifeingraceblog.com/2013/11/how-to-make-the-perfect-pie-crust/
- How to make the perfect pie crust from Life in Grace
- http://www.seriouseats.com/2013/11/gluten-free-pie-crust-recipe.html
- Gluten free pastry pie crust from Serious Eats
- http://sweets.seriouseats.com/2011/07/sweet-technique-shaping-pie-crust-how-to-make-lattice-topped-pie-woven-crust-slideshow.html#show-174783
- Classic crimped crust from Serious Eats
Let’s talk story
I got the original of this recipe from my friend M during college. She grew up in Roanoke, VA. We all contributed our favorite family recipes to the sorority house for our weekday dinners. Over the years, I have shared this recipe with many graduate students and this deep chocolate treat has become our family’s number 1 pie during the holidays.
I’ll be looking for comments below, or contact me at lisa [at] thecasabouquet[dot]com.
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I was just talking about making a Chess pie for Christmas and here on Tuesday Talk I find your recipe. Meant to be. Thanks for linking with us today. Going to add this to my menu.
So glad you came by Michelle! We grandmother bloggers need to stick together! Hope you all enjoy the pie!
Looks absolutely yummy!
Oh it is! The better the chocolate, the more decadent!
Oh yum! I tried my first chess pie this summer, it was flavored with honey and it was really good. I am sure I would like a chocolate one even more!
Chess pie can be lemon and other flavors, too! Hope you’ll try it!