Benne and Rye Chess Pie
Ingredients
- 1 lb. Flour
- 1⁄2 lb. Sprouted rye flour
- 1⁄4 c Benne seeds, toasted
- 5 g Kosher salt
- 1 lb. Unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
- 6 to 7 oz. Ice water
- 3 T Benne cake flour
- 1-1⁄2 tsp. Kosher salt
- 1⁄4 tsp. Cinnamon
- 1⁄8 tsp. Nutmeg
- 6 Eggs
- 2 c Brown sugar
- 6 T Buttermilk
- 3⁄4 c Melted butter
- 4-1⁄2 T Sweet potato juice
- 3⁄4 tsp. Sherry vinegar
- Sweet Potato-Honey Herb Syrup, recipe follows
Preparation
Combine flours, benne seeds and salt, and work in the butter. Add water to form a dough, shape into flat rounds and chill 30 minutes. Roll dough out for a 9-inch pie pan; chill.
Combine benne flour, salt and spices; set aside. Whisk eggs with sugar; add buttermilk, butter, sweet potato juice and vinegar.
Whisk in dry ingredients and pour into shell. Bake in a preheated 325°F oven for an hour, covering the rim of the crust to prevent burning. Cool; slice and drizzle with Sweet Potato-Honey Herb Syrup. Makes 1 pie and 4 to 5 pie shells.
To make Sweet Potato-Honey Herb Syrup: heat 227 grams butter, 460 grams brown sugar until dissolved. Add 150 grams honey, 160 grams sweet potato juice, 3 grams salt and 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar. Add 2 cups roasted and chopped pecans and hazelnuts and 12.5 grams chopped rosemary, thyme and sage. Makes 2 quarts.
Pastry Chef Kaley Laird Rhubarb, the Rhu and Benne on Eagle, Asheville, North Carolina from Food Fanatics Magazine®