Chess Squares are an easy variation of Chess Pie, with a buttery shortbread crust and a sweet chess pie filling.
Prep Time30 minutesmins
Cook Time50 minutesmins
Total Time1 hourhr20 minutesmins
Servings: 16squares
Calories: 320kcal
Author: Lucy Brewer
Ingredients
Filling
1stick unsalted butter, melted
1cuplight brown sugar
3eggs
1tablespooncornmeal
1tablespoonwhite vinegar
1tablespoonall-purpose flour
1tablespoonvanilla extract
½teaspoonsalt
Shortbread Crust
2sticks unsalted butter, softened and diced into chunks
2 ½cupsall-purpose flour
½cupbrown sugar
½teaspoonsalt
1vanilla bean
Instructions
Crust Instructions
Preheat oven to 350. Line a 9x13 inch pan with foil, allowing the foil to hang over the sides, and lightly grease the foil.
Whisk flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean and mix into flour. Work in butter. Press into prepared pan. Bake 20-25 minutes until lightly browned. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.
Filling Instructions
While shortbread is baking, make the filling. Add brown sugar to melted butter and whisk until smooth.
Add the rest of the ingredients to the brown sugar and whisk until smooth.
Putting It Together
Allow crust to cool for 10-15 minutes, then gently and slowly pour the filling over the warm shortbread crust. Bake for another 20-25 minutes until top is lightly browned and filling is not jiggly. Remove from oven and cool pan on a wire rack for one hour before removing foil. Then gently pull out the foil and slice the pie into squares.