Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Cranberry Chess Pie


No, not that kind of chess.

The other kind of chess... as in pie. The kind of pie typically attributed to the Southern US. There's plenty of speculation as to where the pie got it's name. The explanation I like best is the one where the sweet southern lady says "it's 'jes pie!"

I really had no idea what to expect with this recipe. I've often wondered what chess pie tasted like, and I had the ingredients on hand and leftover pie dough handy, so I went to mixin'. It was very easy to throw together.


I made two mini pies since I didn't want to waste ingredients in case it didn't turn out, or we didn't like it. It looked good coming out of the oven.


I wonder if I didn't bake it long enough. The bottom didn't seem set.


The verdict? Even though it didn't appear to be thoroughly cooked, I could still get a sense for how it tasted. It seemed like the cranberries were so tart, and the filling was so sweet, my mouth didn't know what to think. Like the flavors competed with rather than complimented each other. I wish I knew was "real" chess pie tasted like so I could form a more educated opinion.

For me, I guess the jury is still out on chess pie. I'd be interested to hear if anyone knows what it's supposed to taste like. You can find the recipe here.

OK, until next time... happy baking!

10 comments:

Bunny said...

I really like the picture of the pie out of the oven, that picture makes me want to devour it! I 've never had chess pie, the original recipe piture looks like it might be custardy.

Snooky doodle said...

I ve never heard of chess pie either so sorry I can't judge . But the look of it seems delicious :)

SaraLynn said...

It sounds good! It looks good too!

I have a recipe for a chocolate chess pie....interested? It is one of my father-in-law's favorites!

Cathy said...

It looks like a fun recipe! I like the concept, especially around the holidays, although I'm sorry you weren't blown away by it. My MIL (a Southerner) makes a great chess pie, so I basically just eat hers and haven't had occasion to try to make one myself yet.

grace said...

a little under-baked crust never slowed me down! delightful, but you're right--i'm convinved that making perfect chess pie is highly-developed skill. :)

TeaLady said...

Love chess pie. Usually plain, but cranberries sound good. Pie looks good.

Liz said...

Huh, interesting! I've heard of chess pie but had no idea what it was made out of. A cranberry pie sounds tasty, and it looks great.

NKP said...

Looks great! I love tart and sweet, I should give it a shot. Thanks for the tip re pre-baking the shell, though!

Gigi said...

I have never heard of chess pie before. It sounds like it would be good. I'm to "google" chess pie!

Y said...

I've always wondered about chess pie myself!