Best Minnie Pearls Chess Pie Recipe Cdkitchencom Recipes

MINNIE PEARL'S CHESS PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Combine the butter and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture cool to room temperature. When the butter mixture has cooled, add the beaten eggs and mix well (you can use a mixer on low speed, if desired). Stir in the vinegar, vanilla, and salt. Mix until incorporated. Pour the pie filling into the pie shell. Place the pie in the oven and bake at 300 degrees F for 50 minutes or until set. Remove the pie from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.

CLASSIC CHESS PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• For the crust: Whisk together the flour and salt in a large bowl. Remove the butter from the freezer and work it into the dough by hand, working quickly to keep the butter as cold as possible. (Cold butter flakes are the secret to a flaky crust.) Be sure to leave pea-size butter flecks visible. Slowly pour the ice water into flour mixture. Using your hands, mix until a dough starts to form. Be careful not to overmix. It should appear shaggy but cohesive.
• Lightly dust a clean work surface with flour. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a 1/4-inch-thick circle, 12 inches in diameter. Transfer the dough round to a 9-inch pie dish. Press the dough down into the dish. Tuck any overhanging dough back under the rim, using your hands to create a thick outer edge. Use a fork to crimp the edges or your hands to pinch for a more professional look. Place in the freezer to chill for 15 minutes.
• Remove from the freezer. Using a toothpick or a fork, poke holes in the bottom of the crust. Line the crust with parchment paper and fill the raw pie shell with pie weights or dried beans. Blind bake for 15 to 20 minutes until it begins to lightly brown. Remove from the oven and remove the parchment and pie weights.
• Beat the egg and 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl. Brush the edges of the crust with the egg wash. Return to the oven and bake until light golden, about 10 minutes. Remove and let cool completely before filling. Lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
• For the filling: Whisk together the melted butter, sugar and eggs in a large bowl. Once combined, stir in the buttermilk, cornmeal, vanilla and salt. Pour the custard into the cooled pie crust. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, checking the pie after 30 minutes and tenting the crust with foil if it is browning too quickly. When the pie is ready, a skewer inserted into the center should come out clean and it should reach an internal temperature of 200 degrees F.
• Cool on a wire rack for 3 to 4 hours. If cut while too warm, the filling will not be set. Once cooled, sprinkle with confectioners' sugar, cut into slices and serve.

MINI CHERRY PIES

Steps:

• Make the crust: Pulse the flour, granulated sugar and salt in a food processor. Add the shortening and 1 stick butter; pulse until the flour looks like coarse meal. Add the remaining butter and pulse until it is in pea-size pieces. Add the egg yolk and 6 tablespoons ice water; pulse until the dough just begins to clump, adding up to 2 more tablespoons water if needed. Transfer the dough to a large sheet of plastic wrap and gather into a 2-by-12-inch log. Wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours or overnight.
• Put a baking sheet on the middle oven rack and preheat to 400 degrees F. Make the filling: Combine the cherries, granulated sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest and juice, and almond extract in a large bowl; toss until the sugar is dissolved and the cherries are coated. Set the filling aside.
• Cut the dough in half; cut one half into 6 pieces (keep the other half refrigerated). Roll each piece into a 6-inch round on a lightly floured surface. Ease each round into a 5-inch pie plate, letting the excess dough hang over the edge. Evenly divide the filling among the bottom crusts (the pies will be full).
• Remove the remaining dough from the refrigerator and use to make the top crusts (see options below); assemble the pies. Brush the top crusts with the beaten egg and sprinkle generously with coarse sugar. Refrigerate the pies until firm, about 30 minutes. Put the pies on the hot baking sheet in the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Bake until the crusts are golden and the fruit is bubbling, 55 to 60 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool completely.

OLD-FASHIONED CHESS PIE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks and egg. Add cornmeal and flour until well blended. Beat in milk and vanilla (do not over beat). Pour into the pastry shell. , Bake at 325° for 55-65 minutes or until the filling is almost set. Cool on a wire rack. , For topping, heat 1/2 cup sugar in a small heavy saucepan over low heat without stirring until partially melted, about 5 minutes. Cook and stir with a metal spoon until syrup is completely melted and golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the milk, butter and remaining sugar (mixture will be lumpy). Cook over medium heat, stirring until a candy thermometer reads 234° (soft-ball stage). Remove from the heat. , Pour into a small bowl without stirring. Cool, without stirring, to 190°. Beat on high speed until mixture turns light brown and creamy and a candy thermometer reads 130°-137°, about 5 minutes. Immediately spread over pie. Store in the refrigerator.

CHESS PIE

Steps:

• Prepare the pie crust: Generously butter a 10-inch round, fluted tart pan. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, granulated sugar, salt, black pepper and lemon zest. Working quickly, rub the cold butter into the dry mixture using your fingers or a pastry cutter. Cut the butter into the flour until the pieces are the size of small pebbles. (Alternatively, use a food processor to pulse the dry ingredients with the butter.) Add the egg yolks and the cold water. Using your hands, combine just until the dough comes together in clumps. Gather dough into a ball; flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic and chill at least 30 minutes.
• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out chilled dough between two sheets of parchment or on a lightly floured surface to a 12-inch round. Using the rolling pin, transfer dough into the prepared tart pan. Press the dough into the fluted sides and trim any overhang to 1/4 inch above the pan. Chill the dough again for at least 20 minutes.
• Line the pie dough with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until the crust is lightly browned along the edges and beginning to firm up, about 18 minutes. Remove the pie weights and parchment and bake for another 5 minutes to lightly brown the edges. Press down the surface with the back of a spoon if the crust bubbles. Allow the crust to cool completely before filling. Adjust the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
• As the crust cools, prepare the filling: Whisk together eggs, yolks, sugar, cornmeal, lemon juice and zest and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in buttermilk and the melted butter.
• Place the tart pan on a rimmed baking sheet and carefully pour the filling into the cooled pie shell. Bake until the filling is set and jiggles slowly when the tart pan is moved back and forth, about 35 to 40 minutes. Cool pie completely before slicing. Top with a dusting of powdered sugar and serve at room temperature or cold, with some whipped heavy cream on the side.