It's been a long time, now I'm coming back home...

...I really will take any opportunity to quote The Beatles....

I've been MIA since September...but in my defense, a lot has happened since then:

I had a week of vacation that was needed more than I had realized.

The I had to catch up on work missed from the vacation time.

Then there were rehearsals.

Then one of my greatest mentors died very surprisingly, and very young...and that took away any interest in doing anything even remotely creative.

Then I ran into some health issues that put me on the sidelines for longer than I expected.

However, all of that being said, it feels really good to be sitting here looking at this screen...and it felt even better when I made a very spur of the moment decision to bake a pie yesterday.

Winter has arrived in full force (after a slight break a few weeks ago when it was +12...that's about 54 degrees Fahrenheit), and yesterday was particularly stormy.  Anyway, it isn't like I could go and get some fresh fruit and create a fantastic seasonal delight.  I took a quick scan of the cupboards, and realized that Chess Pie was going to be the winner.

Now, being from Canada, Chess Pie was completely unknown to me.  The best thing I can compare Chess Pie to is butter tarts.  Essentially, it's a "custard" made of sugar, eggs, and butter (some vanilla, dash of salt...).  The result is a buttery, caramel-like filling that is really heavenly.  I would even say that this filling could be used for tarts (with the standard additions of raisins or pecans, if you so choose).

I will say that the only change I made to the recipe was to add a little splash of vinegar....when dealing with a sugary filling, the vinegar is a bit of an insurance policy against a crystallized end product.

You HAVE to try this pie....seriously....like, NOW!!

For the crust:

1 & 1/4 cups finely ground vanilla wafer cookies (about 45 cookies)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

For the filling:

1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon fine cornmeal
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

To make the crust:

Mix vanilla wafer crumbs, butter, sugar, and salt until combined. Press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Refrigerate about 15 minutes, or until firm.

Preheat oven to 350°. Place tart pan on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake 12 minutes, or until crust is golden. Let cool slightly.

To make the filling:

Reduce oven temperature to 325°.

Mix both sugars, cornmeal, and salt. Break apart any clumps. Whisk in eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla. Whisk in butter until smooth. Pour filling into tart shell.

Bake 35-40 minutes, or until top is dark golden brown and the edge is set but the center is still just a bit wobbly.

Cool on wire rack 15 minutes. Refrigerate until completely cooled, 2 hours up to 1 day. Unmold and serve.