It's J'ess pie.

Supposedly that's what a modest baker responded with when asked by friends what kind of pie they had brought to the party. Or, at least that's my favorite version of how Chess pie got its name. No one really knows for certain how this decidedly southern treat was named or what exactly it has to do with the contents of said pie (the variations of this pie are vast). What is agreed upon is that it is pretty tasty.

Before you set out to make this pie, go ahead and get your crust ready. A quick Canola Oil crust makes this pretty easy, but word on the street is that Whole Foods also makes pre-made GF crusts.

I tried the following recipe on my family and it went over really well. My mom is currently eating her second piece as we speak (she's claiming this is now her new favorite pie) and my Dad (the pickiest of eaters) even gave it a resounding, "That's a pretty good piece of pie." Personally, I found it a little dry and the middle a touch grainy. I'm going to try it again when it cools a bit more (I've a terrible habit of trying food before it cools fully. I've never been the most patient of people).

Old-Time Chess Pie

Ingredients
1 9" pie pan and crust
2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons brown rice flour
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp arrowroot
1/2 cup butter, melted
4 eggs, beaten well
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Heat the oven to 400 degrees.

Place your pie pan and crust onto a baking sheet*.

In a large bowl combine the sugar, flour, xanthan gum and arrowroot**. Stir with a fork to mix them well. Add the butter, eggs, and vanilla. Using a fork or a whisk, stir well to combine everything into a smooth, thick filling. Pour the filling into the pie crust.

Place the pie on the bottom shelf of the oven. Bake for 10 minutes.

Lower the heat to 350 degrees and bake until the edges puff up and the center is fairly firm -- wiggling a little is okay. 30-40min depending on oven. The top should be a nice golden brown without looking/smelling burnt. If you're concerned about burning the edges of your pie crust you can take a piece of tin foil and cut it out in thin circle to cover the edge of your pie but leaving the center open. This will allow your crust to cook but prevent it from burning while the rest of your pie bakes.



*If you use aluminum pie pans instead of hard tin or glass ones, I find that putting it on a baking/cookie sheet will prevent you from spilling the contents all over the counter.

**Part of cooking GF is playing detective. In a recipe that usually only contains 2 tbsp of flour for the normies, what does that mean to those of us that eat alternatively? The best Chess pie, in my opinion, has a thick and creamy middle. And since GF flour doesn't thicken the same way that traditional flour does, this calls for us to put on our experiment hat. I've found that arrowroot acts a lot like cornstarch and will thicken up just about any recipe nicely if you use it in moderation.