Celebrate Pi Day (March 14) by baking a pie! One of the most delicious pies is chess pie, a southern transparent pie that has nothing to do with the game of chess. Traditionally, chess pie is an open-faced pie flavored with lots of lemon. Chess pie is best served at room temperature.

Chess Pie

½ cup butter

1 ½ cups sugar

1 ½ tablespoons cornmeal

3 eggs

3 tablespoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons lemon zest

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 pie dough for a bottom crust

Mix together the butter and sugar until smooth and fluffy. Beat in the cornmeal and eggs. Add the lemon juice and zest, vanilla, salt, and blend well. Fit a pie dough into a pie plate and pour in the filling. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely before serving.

To learn more about baking pies — and how to make a perfect pie crust — join us for a pie baking class on Wednesday, April 11. We will bake strawberry-rhubarb, lemon-raspberry, caramel-banana, coconut-macadamia, and lime pies. Another pie class, Pies: Fruit of the Bloom, is on Wednesday, June 6. If the thought of pie crust terrifies you, then join us for crust-less Icebox Pies on Wednesday, May 23.