Lemon Chess Pie

My Mom’s Lemon Chess Pie

On November 22, 2011, in Life in General, by Bob Borson

Thanksgiving is just two days away and like a lot of people in the US, I have been thinking about all the classic food items that will adorn my holiday table.

This is a first on Life of an Architect – I had never really spoken about food here on my architectural site, that is until I let everyone know just a few weeks ago that my backup plan if I didn’t make it as an architect was to be a chef. I do like to cook but I don’t honestly take the time for it like I should … except at Thanksgiving. There is one dish in particular that I look forward to – lemon chess pie, just like the one my mom used to make. My wife and I have been hosting Thanksgiving and cooking all the food at our house for years but I would always ask my mom to bring her lemon chess pie. I am sad to say that she passed away several years ago but I’d like to think she would be proud of how I have continued the tradition of making the annual lemon chess pie.

This is a picture of my mom – the lemon chess pie master*

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Aura Frances Borson - my mom.

Several weeks ago I was interviewed “internet style” (they send you a list of questions, you write the answers) and one of the questions was

“What is your favourite recipe?” My response was:

‘Lemon Chess Pie from my mothers recipe. I’m a little surprised that this was the first thing that popped into my head because I don’t eat many sweets, but some things are more precious because of the memories associated with them. If I eat four pieces of pie a year, three and a half of them will be lemon chess.’

If you are interested in the other list of things that are my “favourite”, here is the entire interview.

One thing that struck me as I laid in bed last night blocking this post out mentally was the similarity between my favorite desert and my favorite style of architecture – modernism. Both are very simple to understand, contain few components (or ingredients), lack unnecessary ornamentation, and the execution is important. OMG!! Modernism IS Lemon Chess Pie!!**  My world is complete now…

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Lemon Chess Pie.

Here is the recipe for my Mom’s Architectural Lemon Chess Pie

1 prepackaged graham cracker pie crust
3 eggs
1 Tbs flour
1/4 lb butter
1.5 cups sugar
1 Tbs cornmeal
Grated rind and juice of 1 large lemon

Beat eggs slightly, add sugar and continue to beat until well mixed and the sugar is incorporated into the eggs. Add remaining ingredients, mix until distributed evenly. Pour into graham cracker pie crust and bake for 1 hour at 325 degrees. Line the exposed edges of the pie crust with aluminum foil so that they don’t burn.

*I wouldn’t be honoring my mother’s memory if I didn’t confess that what she was really known for her pecan pie. She grew up in Abilene, Texas, in Callahan County, where one of the first paper shell pecan trees was grafted by J. H. Burket in 1903. Seriously people, you can’t make this stuff up.

** technically the lemon in the chess pie is embellishment but just don’t worry about that – I’m talking about whipped cream and cool whip type embellishment

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Today’s topic was brought to you as part of a series called a “blog off” where several people are given a topic and subject title and they all write on that topic on the same day. It’s a fun exercise given the loose parameters that are established. Feel free to swing by any of these other participants web sites to see what spin they put on today’s topic. The table below will populate over time as other participants submit their posts.

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About the author

Bob Borson

Dallas architect who specializes in modern design. I'm AIA, Leed AP, NCARB certified, and previous Dallas AIA Young Architect of the Year (2009).

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  • Pingback: My Mom's Lemon Chess Pie | Life of an Architect | Chess IQ

  • http://twitter.com/remarchitect Robert Moore

    Sorry, no way that can compare to any Mom’s Pecan Pie!

  • http://www.lifeofanarchitect.com Bob Borson

    I will concede that my mother’s pecan pie was the stuff of legend and was superior to her lemon chess pie – but I will not admit that ANY mom’s pecan pie was better than MY mom’s lemon chess … what kind of son would I be if I did that?!?

    Cheers 

  • http://twitter.com/designsynergies roxanne button

    Sounds great, Bob!  I’ve been trying to figure out how to combine my two passions of food & architecture in a blog :-)

  • mle

    We have a similar tradition at our Thanksgiving with lemon meringue pie. No one could get the meringue light enough, or balance the tartness of the lemon like Gordon. He died of lung cancer a few years ago and we’ve suffered through some pitiful lemon tarts and similar knockoffs ever since — but it’s not like we don’t have 7 other pies to eat anyway. Looks like this recipe could be the next lemon replacement attempt!
    Happy Thanksgiving!

  • http://www.lifeofanarchitect.com Bob Borson

    you should try it – simple, classic and delicious (and this coming form a non-sweet eater).

    If you really want to go crazy (and I do) put you pie in a cereal bowl with a large scope of vanilla ice cream. Your head will explode.

  • http://www.lifeofanarchitect.com Bob Borson

    two great tastes that taste great together.

    Best of luck!

  • http://cft411.com Joe Freenor

    Actually, my favorite pie at Thanksgiving has long been the
    pumpkin pies my wife and I make. I do the crusts; she does the filling; and we’ve
    done it since our second Thanksgiving together in 1977. The following year we
    began making four pies, two for each mother. My parents have long since passed
    to their reward, but we kept on making two pies. In August this year her mother
    passed. As a family we have decided to go to Las Vegas (one of my mother-in-law’s favorite
    places) rather than cope with that empty kitchen this year. And this year, for
    the first year, we will make no pies at all.

     

  • Robin Willcox

    Ooooh, it sounds and looks good….. might just try that recipe soon. Is the photo from an actual one you made? Because that crust doesn’t look like a graham cracker crust…….

    and can you tell us how it came to be called a ‘Chess’ pie? 

  • http://www.lifeofanarchitect.com Bob Borson

    I can not attest to the validity of this but I heard long ago that chess pie is very similar to an English curd pie and that “chess” is the Americanization of the English pronunciation of “cheese”.

    Sound believable to me :)

    No, that picture isn’t mine because I haven’t ever thought to take a picture of my mom’s lemon chess pie before. A friend of mine – Emily Peck from Achica Living – sourced that photo for my “favourites” interview and with the exception of the pie crust, it is identical to what my mom’s pie looks like. Since I know I was going to make one in 2 days, I’ll take a picture then and swap out the photos (unless something goes horribly wrong).

    Cheers!

  • http://www.lifeofanarchitect.com Bob Borson

    I can not attest to the validity of this but I heard long ago that chess pie is very similar to an English curd pie and that “chess” is the Americanization of the English pronunciation of “cheese”.

    Sound believable to me :)

    No, that picture isn’t mine because I haven’t ever thought to take a picture of my mom’s lemon chess pie before. A friend of mine – Emily Peck from Achica Living – sourced that photo for my “favourites” interview and with the exception of the pie crust, it is identical to what my mom’s pie looks like. Since I know I was going to make one in 2 days, I’ll take a picture then and swap out the photos (unless something goes horribly wrong).

    Cheers!

  • http://www.lifeofanarchitect.com Bob Borson

    Joe, 

    That is a super sad story … but I don’t think you should stop making pumpkin pies with your wife. There are other people who would certainly appreciate a pie that comes with 35 years experience. I don’t even like pumpkin pie and I’d eat one of yours considering that story.

    I hope you have fun in Las Vegas for Thanksgiving – cheers

  • http://www.lifeofanarchitect.com Bob Borson

    Joe, 

    That is a super sad story … but I don’t think you should stop making pumpkin pies with your wife. There are other people who would certainly appreciate a pie that comes with 35 years experience. I don’t even like pumpkin pie and I’d eat one of yours considering that story.

    I hope you have fun in Las Vegas for Thanksgiving – cheers

  • http://cft411.com Joe Freenor

    Bob, We’ll get back to making pies next year.  But it will never be the same, because it can’t.  But that’s life, really.  All the really good relationships end in death.  The only plus is that we buried our parents; they didn’t bury us.  But we will most definitely go on.  What we would like to do is to begin making new traditions.

  • P Anater

    Brilliant post Bob and I’m glad you had the chance to exercise you inner foodie. Thanks for posting a shot of your mom too, she was a beautiful woman.

  • Robin Rigby Fisher

    Bob – that sounds great!  We need one more dessert for our dinner – and your Mom’s Lemon Chess Pie will be perfect!  I may have to pass on the CoolWhip in favor of real whipped creme though!  Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

  • http://twitter.com/remarchitect Robert Moore

    Your reply made me think of some of the pecan pies I’ve had at covered dish meals and you are probably right.

    Have a nice Thanksgiving.

  • Pat Eggleton

    That’a a lovely picture of your mum and a great recipe. Happy Thanksgiving.