Brown Butter Maple Chess Pie Food

MAPLE BROWN BUTTER CHESS PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Beat browned butter, sugar, maple syrup, Safest Choice eggs, cornmeal, vanilla and vinegar together in a medium sized bowl using a hand mixer or in the bowl of your stand mixer until well combined.
• Pour batter into prepared pie shell and bake for 35-45 minutes.
• Cool for at least 4 hours and serve.

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.

CLASSIC CHESS PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• For the crust: Whisk together the flour and salt in a large bowl. Remove the butter from the freezer and work it into the dough by hand, working quickly to keep the butter as cold as possible. (Cold butter flakes are the secret to a flaky crust.) Be sure to leave pea-size butter flecks visible. Slowly pour the ice water into flour mixture. Using your hands, mix until a dough starts to form. Be careful not to overmix. It should appear shaggy but cohesive.
• Lightly dust a clean work surface with flour. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a 1/4-inch-thick circle, 12 inches in diameter. Transfer the dough round to a 9-inch pie dish. Press the dough down into the dish. Tuck any overhanging dough back under the rim, using your hands to create a thick outer edge. Use a fork to crimp the edges or your hands to pinch for a more professional look. Place in the freezer to chill for 15 minutes.
• Remove from the freezer. Using a toothpick or a fork, poke holes in the bottom of the crust. Line the crust with parchment paper and fill the raw pie shell with pie weights or dried beans. Blind bake for 15 to 20 minutes until it begins to lightly brown. Remove from the oven and remove the parchment and pie weights.
• Beat the egg and 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl. Brush the edges of the crust with the egg wash. Return to the oven and bake until light golden, about 10 minutes. Remove and let cool completely before filling. Lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
• For the filling: Whisk together the melted butter, sugar and eggs in a large bowl. Once combined, stir in the buttermilk, cornmeal, vanilla and salt. Pour the custard into the cooled pie crust. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, checking the pie after 30 minutes and tenting the crust with foil if it is browning too quickly. When the pie is ready, a skewer inserted into the center should come out clean and it should reach an internal temperature of 200 degrees F.
• Cool on a wire rack for 3 to 4 hours. If cut while too warm, the filling will not be set. Once cooled, sprinkle with confectioners' sugar, cut into slices and serve.

MAPLE CHESS PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Press the pie crust into the bottom and up the sides of a 9 inch deep dish pie plate.
• In a medium bowl, beat the butter, sugar, and eggs until light and fluffy. Stir in the cornmeal, vinegar, and maple extract until well blended. Fold in pecans so they are evenly distributed. Pour into the unbaked pie crust.
• Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake for 30 additional minutes, or until the top of the pie is golden brown, and the filling is set. When removing the pie from the oven, give it a gentle shake. If there is no movement, the pie is set. The pie will thicken and shrink slightly upon cooling.

MARGARET'S MAPLE SUGAR PIE

Steps:

• Dough:
• Pulse sugar, salt, and 1 1/4 cups flour in a food processor to combine. Add butter and pulse until the largest pieces are pea-size. Add lard and pulse again until mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer to a large bowl and drizzle in 3 Tbsp. ice water; mix with a fork to combine. Knead 3-4 times to bring dough together (only a couple of floury spots should remain). Flatten dough into a 1/2"-thick disk, wrap in plastic, and chill until firm, at least 2 hours.
• Let dough sit at room temperature 5 minutes to soften.
• Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to a 12" round, rotating often and dusting with more flour as needed to prevent sticking. Transfer to a 9" pie dish. Lift up edges and allow dough to slump down into dish. You should have about 1" overhang. Fold edges under and crimp. Freeze 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425°F. Lightly coat a sheet of foil with nonstick spray and place in pie crust, coated side down, pressing into bottom and up sides. Fill with pie weights or dried beans and bake until edges of crust are pale golden, 15-20 minutes. Carefully remove foil and weights and continue to bake crust until bottom is golden and looks dry, 12-18 minutes more. Transfer dish to a wire rack and let crust cool.
• Filling and assembly:
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Heat brown sugar, cream, and butter in a large heatproof bowl set over a large saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring constantly, until butter is melted, sugar is dissolved, and mixture is smooth (do not let bowl touch water). Remove bowl from heat and stir in whiskey and vanilla. Whisking constantly, add eggs one at a time, incorporating completely after each addition. Add flour and salt and whisk just until smooth. Scrape filling into crust and place on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet.
• Bake pie until filling is browned all over, puffed around the edges, and still slightly wobbly in the center, 45-55 minutes. Transfer dish to a wire rack and let pie cool at least 4 hours before slicing (the longer you can wait, the easier it'll be to slice; do not refrigerate).
• Serve pie topped with whipped cream.
• Do Ahead
• Dough can be made 3 days ahead; keep chilled, or freeze up to 1 month. Crust can be baked 1 day ahead; store tightly wrapped at room temperature. Pie can be baked 1 day ahead. Let cool, then store loosely covered at room temperature.