Chess Pie

Chess Pie #4

Sugar Cream Pie

1/2 c packed brown sugar
1/2 c sugar
7 T ap flour
2 c evaporated milk
1 T diced butter
1/4 t ground nutmeg

Mix the sugars, flour, and milk. Pour into crust. Dot with butter and sprinkle with nutmeg to look pretty. Bake 300 degrees for 1 hour.



This is also not really Chess Pie. Dennis and I both identified evaporated milk when we were eating at Gus's Fried Chicken, and it is their Chess Pie I am trying to recreate. This isn't it, but it is good. It has a bit too much flour taste to me, but I think real cream would solve that. I also think going pure white sugar would sweeten it up. I would like that, because you can't get a pie too sweet for me.

Chess Pie

Chess Pie #3

Jefferson Davis Pie

1/2 c softened butter
1/2 c white
1/2 c packed light brown sugar
1/2 c heavy cream
1 egg
1 T ap flour
1 1/2 t vanilla

1/2 c heavy cream
1 t sugar
1 t bourbon

Preheat oven to 425.

Mix white sugar, brown sugar, and flour. Add softened butter, cream, eggs and vanilla. Mix until well blended. Pour into unbaked pie shell.

Bake at 425 for 10 minutes, then reduce temperature to 350 and continue baking for 45 to 50 minutes.
Whip cream and add sugar gradually until stiff peaks form. Once cream is whipped, gently fold in the bourbon. Serve with pie.



Ok, this is not really Chess Pie. It is sugary and caramely. It goes really well with the bourbon whipped cream.

Kimchi Fried Rice

The whole family ate the kimchi I made!

I thought I'd start out with something that used a little kimchi and other things we're all used to, so I made kimchi fried rice.

Making your own kimchi

I'm attempting David Lebovitz's kimchi recipe.

Mmmm, it smells so good.

Avocado Ice Cream

Avocado Ice Cream

meat from 2 medium avocados
1 t lime juice
1 1/2 c whole milk
1/2 c sugar
1 c heavy cream

Peel and pit the avocados. Add the avocados, lime juice, milk, and sugar to a blender and puree. Transfer the mixture to a medium mixing bowl, add the heavy cream and whisk to combine. Place the mixture into the refrigerator and chill until it reaches 40 degrees F or below, approximately 4 to 6 hours.

Freeze according to manufacturer's directions.

Dennis and I both think this tastes like melons, squash, and sweetened guacamole in turns. I could add more sugar, or try a recipe with coconut milk, but there is nothing wrong with this purely avocado flavored batch.

Chess Pie

Chess Pie #2

Fairfield Chess Pie

1/3 C butter
1 1/3 C sugar
3 eggs
1 can evaporated milk
1 T flour
1/8 t allspice
1/4 t salt

Beat together butter, sugar and eggs. Add flour and mix well. Add milk, allspice and salt, mix well. Pour into unbaked 9” pie shell. Bake in 400o oven for 15 minutes, then reduce oven to 350o and bake for 30 more minutes.

I did need a deep dish crust for this pie, but I'd purchased a standard crust. I had leftover filling.



This one's top is burned too. It happened immediately, within the first five minutes of cooking. I want to play with this recipe because it is a milky, no cornmeal Chess Pie. I clearly need to change the cooking directions and ditch the 400 degree oven.

Elk elk elk

I've finally cooked some of Dad's elk from Colorado. I thawed a package of "DEER CHOPS" and found that they were actually butterflied filets. My original plan was to make elk stroganoff, but the steaks were just too beautiful to pass up.



I cut two up for the stroganoff, and I marinated the other two in balsamic vinegar, pepper, and olive oil. Chris and I swore we could smell Colorado as the meat cooked.

Black eyed peas & greens

We're having black eyed peas and greens for good luck this year.

Greens are the same recipe as before, but these have a lot more flavor. I did one bundle of collards and one of mustard greens, since I could not settle on two good looking bunches of one kind.

The black eyed peas come from Southern Plate. Chris ate them up, but wouldn't do the greens. Everyone else leaned towards the greens.



I also made this Hillbilly Pie for dessert. My Grandma used to make this, but we never called it that!

Happy New Year!

I made Pineapple Champagne Sorbet from The Perfect Scoop.



Mmm, fresh pineapple is so delicious! This sorbet is very airy and light. And festive!

Chris and I went skating at Frontier Park this evening. Brrrr, it was cold!!! Now we're eating assorted cheeses and waiting for the new year to begin. The TV is going on and on about the new decade. *rolleyes* I'll celebrate the new decade next year, when it begins.

Dennis's Favorite Fudge

I had some leftover ingredients from our Christmas cookies, so I made the fudge recipe from the Baker's chocolate box, sans nuts because we both prefer our fudge nutless.

Dennis can't stop eating this fudge! It is not as sugary or creamy as the Fantasy Fudge my Grandma always made, but it is about the easiest fudge recipe ever.

Orange Cookies - Florida

Beth's Orange Cookies - opted not to ice them after tasting the cookie alone.

trip to Florida in June.

Mexican Wedding Cakes - Shannon's Favorite

These really are my favorite cookies, and I include them in my Christmas cookies every year.

Mexican Wedding Cakes
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease cookie sheets.

Toast, stirring occasionally, in a baking pan until lightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes:
1 c chopped pecans

Set aside to cool completely, then grind until very finely chopped but not powdery or oily.

Beat on medium speed until very fluffy and well blended:
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1/4 t salt
1/2 c powdered sugar
2 t vanilla

Gradually beat the pecans into the butter mixture. Sift over the top and stir in until well blended:
2 c ap flour

Pull off pieces of the dough and roll between your palms into generous 1-inch balls. Space about 1-1/4 inches apart on the sheets. Bake, 1 sheet at a time, until the cookies are faintly tinged with brown, 12 to 15 minutes; rotate the sheet halfway through baking for even browning. Remove the sheet to a rack and let stand until the cookies firm slightly. Transfer the cookies to racks to cool completely. Roll the cookies until coated all over in:

1/3 c powdered sugar

Sweet Potato Spice Cookies - Memphis

Sweet Potato Spice Cookies

Trip to Memphis

Pine Nut Cookies - Colorado

I am not thrilled with these. I picked the wrong recipe. I don't have a food processor. There is nowhere near enough mositure to make this work with a hand mixer. I should have gone with something like Anne Burrell's version.

These represent our trip to Colorado in November.

Kentucky Bourbon Balls - Kentucky Trip

Kentucky Bourbon Balls

These represent our trip to Kentucky this summer.

Snickerdoodles - Chris's favorite

Chris requested snickerdoodles for his Christmas cookie this year.

I used the Joy of Cooking recipe:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease or line 2 cookie sheets.

Whisk until wel blended:
2 c ap flour
2 t cream of tartar
1 t baking soda
1/4 t salt

Beat in a large bowl:
1 c unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 c sugar

Add and beat until well combined:
2 large eggs

Stir in flour mixture.

Combine:
1/4 c sugar
4 t cinnamon

Shape the dough into 1 1/4-inch balls, roll in the cinnamon sugar, and arrange about 2 3/4 inches apart on the cookie sheets.Bake, 1 sheet at a time, until the cookies are light golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes. Let stand breifly, then remove to a rack to cool.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies - Dennis's Favorite

Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Cookie supplies

I finally came up with a holiday cookie theme! This year we're doing one cookie for each place we've traveled to and one cookies by special request of each family memeber. Total grocery bill: $95

Brown Butter Ice Cream

I mostly followed this recipe, but I did the whisking in the blender.

This has the flavor of brown butter, and a very dense mouth feel. Dennis and I both agree that it needs to go with something, like a dark chocolate brownie. It would also be good with an addition of vanilla or lemon flavor.

Chess Pie

Chess Pie #1:

1 (9 inch) pie shell
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 cups white sugar
3 eggs
1 tablespoon cornmeal
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a medium mixing bowl combine melted butter or margarine, eggs, and sugar. Mix well, then add cornmeal, vinegar, and vanilla extract. Stir until all ingredients are thoroughly combined. Pour into pastry shell.
Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until set and golden brown on top.

I took the advice of the reviewers and bought a deep dish crust. Not necessary at all. They must be mixing it with an electric mixer and adding a bunch of air. I also cooked it longer than the 35 minutes specified. No need. Mine is overcooked.

This tastes like the "gooey butter" part of gooey butter cake. We all like it, and I will make it again. I think this might technically be a vinegar pie instead of chess pie. I'm ultimately looking for a less buttery, more evaporated milk flavor for "my" chess pie recipe.