I watched the movie Steel Magnolias the other day.
The full picture (if youโre curious) was me, my cat Tron, a rousing Thursday night, a shamefully large bowl of cheese grits and peas, and a paper towel I later used as a cry-tissue, sitting on my bed watching the movie Steel Magnolias.
I was thinking Iโd REALLY like there to be a Steel Magnolias cookbook. Those ladies have got to have some pretty amazing deviled egg secrets, an unbelievable roux up their sleeves, and likely a recipe for chess pie that will knock all of our socks right off.
Iโd also like there to be a Father of the Bride Cookbook, a Home Alone 2 Cookbook, and a Stepbrothers snack guide. What Iโm saying isโฆ Iโve got a lot of cookbooks to write in my future.
First things first, a Steel Magnolias, Louisiana-inspired, butter-present Brown Butter Chess Pie. Shelby. Too soon.
This post is in collaboration with Land OโLakes because their butter is delicious!
I will never not nag you about making pie crust from scratch. Itโs because I know you can do it, I know youโre worth it, and I believe in you, and itโs so satisfying and 1000% more delicious and pridefulโฆ especially where good butter is involved.
Cold butter is cubed and combined with flour, salt, and just a big of sugar. This extra creamy, extra fatty, European Style butter will make for the most delicious and flakey crust. I used salted butter to really add balance to the sweet buttermilk filling.
The butter is broken down to the size of small peas and oat flakes. We want small, but present bits to create the most flakey pie crust.
Buttermilk is our binder. Itโs thick and tangy and works as a tenderizer for our crust.
Brought together with a free gentle kneads and a push or two into a small disk.
The dough must must must rest in the refrigerator to chill the butter and distribute the moisture evenly before rolling.
Letโs make our filling!
Butter to start. Salted butter is melted until fragrant, nutty and browned. Hereโs how to brown butter like a pro.
The fat solids in the butter are browned to a nutty aroma, really deepening the flavor of the butter in our pie. Irresistible!
Lemon zest is rubbed in the granulated sugar to create light citrus notes, and flour, and cornmeal are added to help thicken the pie as it bakes.
Browned butter meets, buttermilk, and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Humble flavors, but well-balanced and divine!
Browned buttery bits, full of flavor and love, all up in our pie!
Unbaked pie crust meets sweet and buttery pie filling. Youโre welcome to par bake the pie crust if youโd like a more crisp bottom pie crust. I like a softer bottom crust on this pie. Itโs not a fussy pie, letโs not make it fussy.
Baked until golden and buttery all over!
Although we want to dive into the pie hot from the oven, this pie needs some time for reflection and cooling. I let the pie sit until room temperature then placed in the refrigerator overnight. We want the butter and buttermilk custard to settle and chill.
Sliced just so, topped with sweet cream and strawberries, this pie is generous in its goodness. Velvety and smooth from the butter, sweet and creamy. Itโs heartwarming. Best served with cheese grits and Steel Magnolias.
Brown Butter Chess Pie
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) cold salted Land O Lakesยฎ European Style Super Premium Butter, cut into small chunks
- 1/4 cup plus 1 to 2 tablespoon cold buttermilk
For the Filling
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons cornmeal
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 cup salted Land O Lakesยฎ European Style Super Premium Butter, melted until browned and slightly cooled
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt. Add cold, cubed butter and, using your fingers, work the butter into the flour mixture. Quickly break the butter down into the flour mixture, some butter pieces will be the size of oat flakes, some will be the size of peas. Create a well in the mixture and pour in the cold buttermilk. Use a fork to bring to dough together. Try to moisten all of the flour bits. Add a bit more buttermilk if necessary, but you want to mixture to be shaggy and not outwardly wet.
- On a lightly floured work surface, dump out the dough mixture. It will be moist and shaggy. Thatโs perfect. Gently knead into a disk. Wrap the disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Allowing the dough to rest in the refrigerator will help rechill the butter and distribute the moisture.
- To roll out the pie crust, on a well floured surface, roll the crust 1/8 inch thick and about 12 inches in diameter. Transfer it to a pie pan. Trim the edge almost even with the edge of the pan Fold the edges under and crimp with your fingers or a fork. Cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for a minimum of 30 minutes and a maximum of 3 hours.
- Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a medium bowl, rub together granulated sugar and lemon zest until sugar is fragrant. Whisk in the flour, cornmeal, and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate medium bowl, or large liquid measuring cup, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, lemon, browned butter, and vanilla extract.
- Add the wet ingredients, all at once, to the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth.
- Pour the filling into the prepared crust. Place on a baking sheet and carefully place in the oven.
- Allow pie to bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until the pie is browned and puffed and not jiggling in a wave.
- Remove the pie from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature before allowing to rest in the refrigerator. Pie is best served chilled.
- Serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream and sliced strawberries.
Joy the Baker has partnered with Land OโLakes for an exclusive endorsement of Land O Lakesยฎ European Style Super Premium Butter. This post is sponsored by Land OโLakes.
39 Responses
I just made this today; one for the senior center bake sale, and one to school to share with students and staff. Absolutely yummy! A total hit!
I made this and your apple pie for Thanksgiving this year and here is what I have to say: Your piecrust method is a complete winner. Paired with this (https://doriegreenspan.com/2011/08/i-have-a-long-bumpy.html) Dorie Greenspan cheat (roll out the dough right after mixing) I made the best crust Iโve ever done. Though the apple pie earned wild raves, especially from my older son, who has definite opinions re. consistency, juices, etc., it was this chess pie that had my finicky niece and nephew sneaking into the kitchen to fight over the last piece. So thank you.
Oh wait, and you also need white vinegar.
Do away with the buttermilk, lemon, and only do a half cup of sugar and I swear you will thank me. Itโs what weโve been doing down in Alabama and we love it. Did it with buttermilk once and it ruined it.
Joy!! Iโve known you for years; meaning I started to read you a longo, long time ago. Sometimes I skip your page for a couple of weeks, but when I come back there is always something amazing waiting for me. This time, here it was: a perfect fall pie, to bake next weekend โ I know itโs only Monday, but Iโm an early planner. Steel Magnolias is one of my must-see movies when in need for a good cry; I love Sally Field and will forever be puzzled by that armadillo cake. Iโm from Portugal, we eat some really weird things, but not that weird. The book ideas are amazing and I will buy any of those. Do write them. And thanks for the amazing laughs and inspiration.
I made it, and it was PHENOMENAL! Seriously delicious, and pretty easy. Whatโs different about European Butter? I used it, and after how delicious this pie was I would never not use it, but what makes it European?
Iโm obsessed with brown butter, and this looks so good!
Butter chess pie is always favorite to me. Your preparation is very easy and friendly. May be I will try to make it, hope I will do it. Thank you so much for sharing it. :)
sweet strawberries tarte, well taken photos
Any other suggestion for cornmeal substitute?
cheese! always a good choise, and your pie looks perfect!
This looks so delicious! I canโt wait to try out a new pie.
chatterboxnewyork.com
Sounds terrific Joy,what changes would i need to make a Lemon Chess pie?
โDrink your juice, Shelby.โ Ah, Steel Magnolias! Iโm a good Southern girl and I love chess pie. I firmly believe that there is no food that cannot be made better by the addition of brown butter. This looks amazing. And the crimping on that crust! I am jealous of your skillzzzzz.
II would love to see a Steel Magnolias cookbook! I once tried Truvyโs Cuppa Cuppa Cup after watching the movie. It. was. terrible.
Iโve never watched Steel Magnolias before, I must add it to the watch list! Totally agree, more movies need cookbooks to accompany them the way of soundtracks! The pi looks delicious!
Every time someone tells me that ready-made pie crust tastes just as good as homemade, I die a little inside.
Now, Iโm looking for an excuse to make this pie. It doesnโt even have to be a good excuse.
Yummy!
Movie-themed cookbooks? Thatโs genius. I would lobby for an โItโs Complicatedโ cookbook for her lavender ice cream and chocolate cake. Iโve never heard of chess pie, but this sounds and looks insanely delicious!
xx Sydney
Your pie crust looks gorgeous. Iโm always using the Test Kitchen vodka crust (cause itโs amazeballs)โฆbut I wanna try thisโฆthe buttermilk tang and tenderness and all. Yum. #shelbywaswaytooyoung
I would totally buy a Father of the Bride cookbook.. :)
i meanโฆ right!?
Iโd have never thought about putting buttermilk in pie crust. A buttermilk crust and brown butter custard? Now thatโs just decadence. It sounds divine- I wish I were eating it now.
Oh my goodness this looks so good! I love the additions of lemon zest and browned butter! Over the many years that I have been reading your blog, I have learned one very important lesson; browned butter makes everything better. :) Thank you Joy!
Oh my God. This looks aaamaaaaazing! Your pie crust looks just magical the way you scallop the edges so perfectly. Will definitely be making a less-pretty version of this. Thanks you.
Amazing!!!!!! I love it!!!
Fantastic pics!
Chess pie is such a special treat. I always take a long time to eat it because Iโm savoring every bite. Love your recipe!
Donโt forget the red velvet armadillo in your Steel Magnoliaโs cookbook!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Brown butter anything and Iโm on board. This looks so yummy!
Laura
https://thefoxtrails.blogspot.com
What a great idea, cookbooks inspired by movies! This pie sounds fabulous and your crust is always so perfect. Thanks, Joy.
I grew up on lemon chess pie (my grandma used to let me eat it for breakfast, God bless her), so whenever I see chess pie recipe, it makes my heart beam a little. I want to serve her a slice of your brown butter version to say thanks for her morning nutrition wisdom!
Looks delicious, Joy! But is the cornmeal missing in the recipe ingredients and instructions? Canโt wait to make this.
Steel Magnolias. My brain nearly fell out of my nose from all the crying I didโif only I had had this chess pie! Love the idea of your cookbooks from some of my favorite 90โs movies!
I made my homemade pie crust one time and it was incredible. I think Iโm scared Iโll mess it up the next time I make it because Iโve never made it since!
Butter, I love butter, everything tastes better with butter. And this pie is full of it, I can only imagine how divine it smells (and tastes). I might make this for the next time I watch that movie. Or maybe I shouldnโt, as I am likely to eat too much of it.
God Bless you!
Oh Joy, this pie looks like perfection! How I wish I could taste the one in the pictures but Iโll settle for having to make it at home. Love!
I love that film as well, I think that was the first film I saw Julia Roberts in and thank you for the recipe!!
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