Bringing Life

Tag: southern food

  • Buttermilk Chess Pie — Simple, Sweet, and Southern

    There’s something comforting about the simplicity of an old-fashioned pie. This one, baked as a thank-you for our FedEx driver, quickly earned a place among our family favorites. It’s buttery, sweet, and smooth — the kind of dessert that tastes like home.

    a chess pie in a milk glass pie dish on a striped tea towel

    📜 Ingredients

    (Makes one 9-inch pie)

    • 1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust
    • 1 cup granulated sugar
    • ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
    • 2 tablespoons fine cornmeal (optional for a touch of tradition)
    • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
    • 4 large eggs
    • ½ cup buttermilk
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    👩‍🍳 Instructions

    1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
      Place your unbaked crust in a 9-inch pie dish and crimp the edges.
    2. Mix dry ingredients.
      In a large bowl, whisk together the sugars, cornmeal, flour, and salt.
    3. Add butter and eggs.
      Stir in melted butter until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, whisking well after each.
    4. Finish the filling.
      Whisk in buttermilk and vanilla. The mixture will be thin — that’s normal for chess pie.
    5. Pour and bake.
      Pour filling into the crust. Bake 45–55 minutes, or until the center is just set and the top is golden with a delicate sugary crust.
      (If the crust browns too quickly, cover edges loosely with foil.)
    6. Cool completely.
      Let the pie rest at room temperature for at least 2 hours before slicing. It continues to set as it cools.

    🍴 Serving & Storage

    Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.
    Store covered in the fridge up to 4 days.

    💡 Notes & Variations

    • No brown sugar? Use 1½ cups raw sugar (or 2¾ cups if doubling the recipe) and add a teaspoon of molasses for deeper flavor.
    • Lemon Chess Pie: Add zest and juice of one lemon.
    • Chocolate Chess Pie: Add 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder with the dry ingredients.
    • Maple Chess Pie: Swap ¼ cup sugar for maple syrup and reduce buttermilk slightly.

    ❤️ From Our Kitchen

    This pie started as a simple thank-you — a small way to show appreciation to someone who carries heavy boxes to our door year-round. But after one bite, Tim and I decided it won’t just be a thank-you pie anymore. It’s officially part of our family favorites list.