Maple Chess Pie Recipes

BROWN BUTTER MAPLE CHESS PIE

Steps:

• Prepare one half recipe of the pie crust according to directions. Form into a disk and place in the fridge.
• Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease a standard sized pie pan with butter. Set aside.
• Brown your butter by placing it into a small saucepan over low heat. Stir constantly until the milk solids from the butter separate and become a golden brown color. Remove from heat and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes.
• Remove pie dough disk from the fridge. On a lightly floured work surface, roll dough out to 1/4 inch thick. Carefully place dough into pie pan, pushing into the pan. Fold the edge of the dough over on itself, and use your fingers to create a crimped edge. Or, if you don't know how to do this, just leave it be. It will look great regardless!
• Prepare your crust to be blind baked by placing parchment paper over the dough, then adding uncooked rice into the center. Blind bake for 10 minutes while you make your filling.
• In a large bowl, combine butter, maple syrup, sugar, eggs, heavy cream, vanilla, and salt. Whisk until well combined, then add in cornmeal.
• Pour filling into partially baked crust, then lower oven temperature to 350°F and bake for an additional 45-50 minutes, until the center of the pie is set and is a light golden brown color.
• Allow pie to cool completely before topping with a dust of powdered sugar and serving. I suggest letting it cool on a cooling rack for 1 hour, then in the fridge for 2 hours. I also love pairing my chess pie with whipped cream, as these photos shows!

SALTED MAPLE PIE

Steps:

• On a lightly floured surface and using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out a disc of dough into a circle about 1/4-inch thick. Starting at one end, gently roll up the dough onto the rolling pin. Unfurl the dough over a 9-inch pie plate and press it in lightly, making sure it's lining the plate.
• Trim so there's about 1/2-inch of excess dough hanging over the edge of the pie plate. (If the dough feels warm, refrigerate it for 15 minutes.) Tuck the excess dough under itself so it is flush with the edge of the pie plate; leave the pie like this for a straight-edge finish, or crimp as desired. Freeze for at least 15 minutes. Heat your oven to 450 degrees with the rack on the lowest level.
• Remove the pie crust from the freezer, tear off a square of aluminum foil that is slightly larger than the pie shell, and gently fit it into the frozen crust. Fill the crust with pie weights or dried beans (they should come all the way up to the crimps) and place the pie pan on a baking sheet. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven, and bake for 25 to 27 minutes. Check for doneness by peeling up a piece of foil - the crimps should be light golden brown. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack. After 6 minutes, carefully remove the foil and beans. You are now ready to fill the pie. Reduce your oven to 350 degrees.
• Make the filling: In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter and maple syrup. Whisk in the brown sugar, cornmeal and kosher salt.
• Crack the eggs and yolk into another medium bowl. Add the cream and vanilla, and whisk until combined.
• Slowly pour the egg mixture into the maple mixture, and whisk just until combined.
• Place the blind-baked shell on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush the crimped edge with the beaten egg. Pour the maple filling into the pie shell until it reaches the bottom of the crimps.
• Transfer the baking sheet with the pie on it to the oven and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the edges are puffed and the center jiggles only slightly when shaken. It will continue to set as it cools.
• Remove the baking sheet from the oven and transfer the pie to a wire rack to cool for 4 to 6 hours. Once fully cooled and at room temperature, sprinkle generously with flaky sea salt, slice into 8 to 10 pieces, and serve. Store leftover pie, well wrapped in plastic wrap or under a pie dome, at room temperature for up to 3 days.