Chocolate Chess Pie - Week 2

Chocolate!!
All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt! Charles M. Schulz

Chocolate is definitely known as a feel good food. It even contains phenylethylamine, the same chemical that our brain produces when we feel happy or in love. In it darkest forms (basically with little sugar, cream or oils), it has health benefits; however Chocolate Chess Pie is not one of the forms that would be considered healthy.

You may be wondering what a Chess Pie is.... my research is inconclusive. However, here are a few ideas from the web:

1. Named for its close similarity to a cheescake pie, but doesn't contain any cheese so it is called "chess".
2. Named after the pie chest, which this pie could be stored in because of its high sugar content and not stored in a refrigerator.
3. Named for a town named Chester in England, and was abbreviated by settlers over the years.
4. Named after the activity of gentlemen playing chess while eating this pie.
5. Named after a misunderstanding in the kitchen, when a cook was asked what the wonderful smell was in the kitchen, and she replied in a Southern drawl, "It's jes' pie."

I love the last idea, as the recipe is super simple and I can just imagine that scenario in the kitchen.  Most chess pie recipes are as simple as butter, sugar, eggs, and flavoring baked in a little over a half hour. This pie is known for its Southern origins, and typically the filling is thin (probably because it's so sweet) and similar to a custard pie. The top of the filling usually develops a crusty top that has a crinkly top.

Ingredients:

1 single crust Pastry
1 cup Sugar
1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 c. butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten
1/8 c. milk
1 t. vanilla

Directions:

In bowl, combine sugar, cocoa powder and melted butter. Beat until smooth. Beat in eggs, milk, and vanilla. Pour into shell. Bake 35-40 minutes at 350 degrees until golden brown and set.

We found this pie to be a moist chocolate overload tasty slice.  I hope you fall in love with this super-sweet chocolate recipe!