A dessert gambit: Oklahoma cafeteria's closing brings the Food Dude to search for a chess pie recipe

When Boulevard Cafeteria closed last month, I lamented the loss of my favorite place to get chess pie.

Recipes poured in via email and snail mail in the aftermath, inspiring me to collaborate with Oklahoma's chef emeritus, John Bennett, to test a few of them.

The result was three decadent pies made from simple kitchen ingredients. As we worked the better part of an afternoon, it was clear there could hardly be a more humble pie.

According to James Beard, it came from England and was prevalent in Virginia, but if you read the recipe for what was considered classic Chess Pie in 1972's “American Cookery” — a copy of which Bennett happens to own — you might think you're making a fruitcake.

However, Martha Washington's Chess Cake recipe, which we published in 2012, apparently was courtesy of her Virginia upbringing and is a dead ringer for lemon chess pie.

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But the chess pie the Boulevard served — and the derivations all the classic cafeterias served — came from the Deep South. Once you start analyzing the root recipe, it's not difficult to imagine some creative home cook seeking to make a sweet treat for the family with what was available to rural homemakers.

Eggs from the chicken coop, milk from the cow, butter from the churn. All mixed with pantry staples like sugar, flour and cornmeal. If any fresh lemons find their way into the kitchen, fresh-squeezed juice and zest make a tart variation. Simple cheddar cheese can be added to temper the sweetness and fortify the crispy top.

'Just pie'?

As for the name, nobody's ever really come up with a definitive answer. Beard suggests the name came from how their sugar content made them easy to store in pie chests.

A 2013 article in Southern Living magazine offers the idea that it might've been a simple misunderstanding of “just pie” spoken in a heavy Southern drawl that sounded like “jes' pie.” Another theory asserts it could've been mistaken for what the English called cheese pie, which had a similar texture and flavor profile.

The first recipe we tested was Cheese Chess Pie. I had a recipe from our archives from Teri Farrow, of Talihina, who sent in a recipe that “my grandmother obtained … from a cook at Anna Maude's Cafeteria."

But I got a similar recipe emailed in from Judy Smith. Smith says the recipe she uses came from a cookbook she received as a wedding gift in 1964. Called “Our Favorite Recipes,” it was compiled by The Stepping Stones Women's Group of Oklahoma Christian College. As a graduate of Oklahoma Christian, and seeing how Farrow's recipe is available by searching newsok.com, I chose Smith's rendition.

Cheddar's role

Both chef Bennett and I were dubious about cheddar cheese in a custard pie, but when the finished result finally chilled, we were pleasantly surprised.

One of the steps is to warm the milk and add cheddar cheese, which had us scratching our heads, because cheddar is a notoriously poor melting cheese. Yes, it melts, but it tends to curdle if you try to melt it the way you would Velveeta. And, as we feared, the cheese melted very little. But when the pie came out of the oven, it was clear how we misunderstood the cheddar's role.

The cheese did temper the sweetness relative to the classic chess we made, but the cheddar made for a pleasantly crispy top. One thing to note: Smith's recipe called for 45 minutes in a 350-degree oven, but ours needed another 10 minutes to set the center.

Classic approach

Next we made a Classic Chess following a recipe from Southern Living, which seemed simpler than any of the other classic renditions considered.

This straightforward approach made it crystal clear how the pie became popular in the South with its pantry-friendly and farm-fueled ingredients. A rural homemaker only needed a hot oven for baking and half an afternoon for cooling this pie.

The original recipe we followed called for 55 minutes for cooking, but we pulled it after 45 when the top turned golden brown.

One mistake we did make was in the initial melting of the butter. A small portion of the butter was still solid when we mixed the pie filling. This left some flecks of butter to rise to the top and create some dark spots on top of the pie.

We also failed to tent the pie with aluminum after 10 minutes, a simple oversight, which probably led to a slightly darker pie than you'll want. The pie was also set after 45 minutes rather than 50 to 55.

The result was an ultrasweet custard pie with a crisp sugar top, teetering on the edge of creme brulee. Bennett  wondered if one couldn't go over the finished pie with a hand-torch for dramatic effect.

Lots of lemon

Finally, we made a Lemon Chess Pie from a unique and entertaining letter sent in by Warren Edwards. He said his recipe was left in the house he lives in by the previous owner when he purchased it in 1980.

Edwards wrote that the recipe was submitted to The Advertiser by Mrs. Marewaine John, of Grandfield, who was the chief advocate for making the black swallowtail Oklahoma's state butterfly in 1996.

Edwards estimates the recipe is from the 1940s. He wrote that the recipe said simply “Chess pie,” not lemon chess, but the recipe, which includes a half-cup of lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of zest, is without a doubt lemon chess.

The oddest thing about John's recipe is the baking temperature. Edwards writes that it calls for a 250-degree oven and 35- to 40-minute cook time, which drew an incredulous “Whaaat????” from chef Bennett.

Despite our misgivings, we followed the recipe exactly. Edwards did write that “cooking time can be lengthened even at 300 degrees.” Well, our concerns weren't unfounded. We let the pie cook for 65 minutes at 250 degrees and couldn't firm up the center. Finally, I cranked the temperature all the way to 350, which set it to bubbling almost immediately and finished it within a few minutes.

Ultimately, we determined a 350-degree oven would do the job perfectly in 45 to 55 minutes.

Chessing a favorite, and more

The lemon chess was chef Bennett's favorite variation, but I tended to like the classic best.

We used two premade pie crusts and one roll-out version. We precooked one crust for a short time in a 425-degree oven and left the other two uncooked. We found it didn't make much difference and is simply a matter of how crispy you want the crust.

In all three cases, the filling is quite loose before it cooks. We had a little slosh out of the cheese chess as I topped off one of the pies as it sat on the oven the rack and required some quick action with a spatula to clean it off the bottom of the oven. It caused a little unsightly blackening on the crust.

Finally, I know this is usually the time of year we're trying to forget about all the pie we've just eaten over the last couple of months, but consider this your first test of resolve. Pie itself isn't bad for you. Eating too much of it is. And if you think denying yourself pie completely is the answer to better living, well, I'm afraid you'll be doing the same thing next January.

Balance is the key to success on pretty much any and everything I've faced in 48 years. Pie-eating is no different.

One last thing, have ready a fresh pot of hot coffee — hold the cream and sugar, trust me.

Cheese Chess Pie

1 1/2 cups milk

1/2 cup butter melted

1/2 cup cheddar cheese

1/4 cup flour

2 cups sugar

5 egg yolks beaten

1 uncooked pie shell

•Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

•Heat milk and add grated cheese at low temperature.

•Cream the sugar, butter and flour then add to milk and cheese. Remove mixture from stovetop and transfer to a mixing bowl to cool while you separate the yolks and beat them.

•Add the egg yolks, making sure the mixture isn't too hot and beat.  Pour into unbaked pie shell.  Bake at 350 degrees 45 to 55 minutes.

Source: Adapted from a recipe from Judy Smith, Oklahoma City

Classic Chess Pie

1 refrigerated pie crust

2 cups sugar

2 tablespoons cornmeal

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted

1/4 cup milk

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

•Fit pie crust into a 9-inch pie plate according to package directions; fold edges under and crimp.

•Line pastry with aluminum foil, and fill with pie weights or dried beans.

•Bake at 425 degrees for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove weights and foil; bake 2 more minutes or until golden. Cool.

•Stir together sugar and next 7 ingredients until blended. Add eggs, stirring well. Pour into pie crust.

•Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 55 minutes, shielding edges with aluminum foil after 10 minutes to prevent excessive browning. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Source: Adapted by Dave Cathey and John Bennett from a recipe in Southern Living

Lemon Chess Pie

4 eggs

1 3/4 cups sugar, beaten

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice, about a 1 1/2 large lemons

2 tablespoons lemon zest

1 tablespoon flour

1 tablespoon cornmeal

1 9-inch pie crust, uncooked

•Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

•Combine sugar with flour and cornmeal thoroughly. Add milk and melted butter to eggs then stir in sugar mixture. Beat with hand-mixer until well blended.

•Stir in lemon juice and zest.

•Pour into the pie shell. Bake 45 to 55 minutes.

Source: Adapted by Dave Cathey and John Bennett from a recipe by Mrs. Marewaine John via Warren Edwards