Pumpkin Chess Pie Tart
Chess pie is similar to vinegar, sugar or custard pies with the addition of a little cornmeal to give it texture. Stories range on why it’s called chess pie. Some say it’s a bastardization of the age old question “What sort of pie is that?” The response of “it’s just pie” slowly morphing into “it’s chess pie.” Other people say it’s an evolution of storing the warm pies in a pie chest, a specific piece of furniture popular in the south that is used to cool pies (man I wish I lived in a culture where there were specific pieces of furniture designed just to cool cakes and pies!). The resulting cooling pie was a “chest pie”, or “chess pie” as the phrase evolved. Either way though, the simple and easy to variation of pumpkin pie is a familiar but slightly different dessert, perfect for Thanksgiving.
Estimated Nutrition (whole recipe, rough)
Counts 13 of 16 ingredients — the other 3 aren't in our nutrition table and contribute nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume — 13 portions →
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Cream | 1 tbsp (15ml) heavy | 51 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Vanilla | 1 tsp extract (4ml) | 12 |
| Nutmeg | 1 tsp ground (2.2g) | 12 |
| Clove | 1 tsp ground (2g) | 7 |
| Cinnamon | 1 tsp ground (2.6g) | 6 |
| Vinegar | 1 tbsp (15ml) distilled | 3 |
| Bay Leaf | 1 leaf (0.6g) | 2 |
| Ginger | 1 tsp grated fresh (2g) | 2 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Water | not in our table | 0 |
| Vodka | not in our table | 0 |
| Pumpkin | not in our table | 0 |
Totals for the whole recipe, adding one typical portion per ingredient — listed above. Quantities in the recipe are not counted, so this is a rough guide only — not suitable for medical or dietary planning.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (140 g) all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (75 g) whole wheat flour
- 1 tablespoon white granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons (155 g) cold butter
- 2 tablespoon ice cold water
- 2-3 tablespoon vodka
- 15 oz canned pumpkin
- 1 fresh bay leaf
- 2 cups white sugar
- 1/2 cup (115 g) butter
- 5 large eggs
- 1/3 cup half and half
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cornmeal
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar