What is Chess Pie?

@marie2052 (3691)
United States
January 30, 2013 8:07pm CST
I am reading a civil war era book. Upon reading it I stumbled on a Chess Pie. Now I figured it had something to do with while playing chess a pie was served that was often made. So I decided to research a bit and figured out since our historical forefathers era did not have the luxury of refrigerators and freezers, there were a type of shelf with doors called pie safes. From what I now understand, the more sugar added to a pie, the less it needed to be iced thus they could sit in the pie safes or pie chest. Since I have always loved to cook, finding out about how our pioneer women did their cooking and preserving of such delicacies in sweets. But I had to chuckle when I read the version of Martha Washington on her recipe for this. I will leave the reading here for those that love the art of cooking and history it delves in I think you will get a kick out of the ways of simplified spelling back in the day to how we spell now. Mid 1700s - From the cookbook Martha Washington's Booke of Cookery, transcribed by Karen Hess: To make very good chee[secakes without] cheese curd Take a quart of cream, & when it boyles take 14 eggs; If they be very yallow take out 2 or 3 of the youlks; put them into [the] cream when it boyles & keep it with continuall stirring till it be thick like curd. [Then] put into it sugar & currans, of each halfe a pound; ye currans must first be plumpt in faire water; then take a pound of butter & put into the curd a quarter of [that] butter; [then] take a quart of fine flowre, & put [the] resto of [the] butter to it in little bits, with 4 or 5 spoonsfulls of faire water, make [the] paste of it & when it is well mingled beat it on a table & soe roule it out.. Then put [the] curd into [the] paste, first putting therein 2 nutmeggs slyced, a little salt, & a little rosewater; [the] eggs must be well beaten before you put them in; & for [your] paste you may make them up into what fashion you please..."
2 people like this
4 responses
@AmbiePam (94241)
• United States
31 Jan 13
My dad LOVES chess pie. His mother used to make it all the time for him. Now that she has passed away, at least once a year my sister will make him one. That's his favorite kind of pie ever.
3 people like this
@marie2052 (3691)
• United States
31 Jan 13
that is so cool. I had not ever heard of it before I read this book. I usually find all kinds of cooking versions when reading through different historical books. Amazes me how simple life was then to now and no preservatives added! thanks for responding!
1 person likes this
@dainy1313 (2370)
• Leon, Mexico
31 Jan 13
Hello Marie, I hope that you are fine! Yummie, thanks you for sharing this receipe, you encourage me to cook again. I´ve been very busy that I forgot what lovely could be preparing a cheesecake. Thanks you for posting. Blessings Marie... dainy
2 people like this
@marie2052 (3691)
• United States
31 Jan 13
HI back dainy! I hope you enjoyed learning about the pie. I loved how Martha Washington wrote out her recipe! I just had to share!
2 people like this
@Fishmomma (11377)
• United States
8 Mar 13
Great discussion, as I had never heard of Chess Pie. Its interesting to learn how they dealt with refrigeration at the time. I lived my youth in a house without electricity and running water, so really appreciate my refrigerator today. We had to carry water from the well to use in the house. It was quite a way up and down the hill each day. I don't miss the water hauling at all.
• Philippines
2 Feb 13
wow this is awesome, very informational and at the same time...makes me hungry.. i'll try to cook this at home, i hope it won't fail since i'm not so good in baking.. but i do love to cook!
@marie2052 (3691)
• United States
4 Feb 13
I try to find things that interest me and go back in history to learn. The difference in cooking not having a stove, or fridgerator always amazing how they could preserve and use cooking in their way of life. Thanks for reading.