Chess pie is delicious, but it’s not always the prettiest—so dust the top of this baby in confectioners’ sugar, and call it a day. Chess pie will form a crunchy top while it bakes. This is a sign of a good chess pie and to be expected, but it can also make the surface crack and sink. If you want your pie to have a flatter top, bake it in a water bath, and let cool in the warm oven before removing it.
- Pie Dough (recipe follows)
- 1⁄2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, cubed
- 4 ounces (115 grams) Caramelized White Chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs (200 grams)
- 2 tablespoons (18 grams) yellow cornmeal
- 1 teaspoon (4 grams) vanilla extract
- 1⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon (7 grams) confectioners’ sugar
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
- On a lightly floured surface, roll Pie Dough into a 12-inch circle. Transfer to a 9-inch pie pan, pressing into bottom and up sides. Trim excess dough to 1⁄2 inch beyond edge of pan. Fold edges under, and crimp as desired. Prick bottom of dough all over with a fork. Freeze for 15 minutes.
- Top dough with a piece of parchment paper, letting ends extend over edges of pan. Add pie weights.
- Bake for 15 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F (170°C).
- In the top of a double boiler, combine butter and Caramelized White Chocolate. Cook over simmering water, stirring frequently, until melted, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; add granulated sugar, eggs, cornmeal, vanilla, and salt, whisking until smooth. Pour filling into prepared crust.
- Bake until center is set and no longer jiggly, about 40 minutes. Let cool for 2 hours. To make a
- vertical-stripe pattern, lay 1-inch strips of parchment paper over pie. Dust with confectioners’ sugar, and carefully remove parchment. Serve immediately, or refrigerate until ready to serve. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour before serving.
- 1 1⁄2 cups (188 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon (4 grams) granulated sugar
- 1⁄2 teaspoon (1.5 grams) kosher salt
- 1⁄2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, cubed
- 4 to 5 tablespoons (60 to 75 grams) cold water
- In the work bowl of a food processor, place flour, sugar, and salt; pulse until combined. Add butter, and pulse until mixture is crumbly. With processor running, add cold water, 1 tablespoon (15 grams) at a time, just until a dry dough forms. Turn out dough, and shape into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- 16 ounces (455 grams) white chocolate baking chips
- 1⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt
- Preheat oven to 250°F (130°C). In a completely dry 9-inch round cake pan, combine chocolate and salt.
- Bake until chocolate is smooth and deep golden and smells like toasted marshmallows, 30 to 60 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. (At times, the chocolate will look very dry and chalky, but keep stirring until smooth.)
- Pour chocolate onto a parchment-lined sheet tray, and let set for at least 7 hours or overnight.
- Break into pieces, and store in an airtight container for up to 4 months.
*Use high-quality white chocolate with over 30% cocoa butter content for this recipe. Every white chocolate is different and the amount of time (and stirring) it takes to caramelize will vary, so use your senses and treat this recipe as a guideline. Once the chocolate is a deep golden color and smells like toasted marshmallows, it’s done.
**For a lighter flavor, roast just until color starts to change, about 30 minutes. This is best for pairing with subtle flavors, such as fresh berries. For a stronger flavor, roast until chocolate resembles peanut butter and has a strong nutty fragrance, about 1 hour. This will produce something slightly less sweet with an assertive caramel flavor.
