Now that January has passed, the time has come for a little indulgence. Here in the States, many will be celebrating the Super Bowl this coming Sunday, and while football fans gather around their flatscreen TVs with beers in hand and bowls of chips nearby, we always like to offer something a little more sophisticated. We also like to use this occasion to test out potential Valentines Day and Oscar Party recipes, needing something that will be equally functional as a finger food, a romantic dinner course, and a buffet denizen. That generally means one thing: Dessert. These Chess Pie Bars from Food & Wine met all of those criteria so beautifully that we just couldn’t resist giving them the gluten free treatment. As an homage to a beloved culinary classic from American southern cuisine, they are delightfully sweet and unapologetically rich, turning a flaky, custard-y pie into a decadent finger food.
The shortbread crust that serves as the base of these bars was easily rendered gluten free with some gf all-purpose flour and a little xanthan gum—remember that if you use a store-bought gf AP baking blend, it most likely already has the gum in the mix, so you can either halve or eliminate it here and you’ll be just fine. Aside from being a sturdy enough vehicle for getting the bars from the plate to your mouth without them falling apart in your hand (Oh, the humanity), the shortbread also saves you from having to wrestle with a finicky gluten free pie crust. These bars should be worshipped for that reason alone. Fortunately for you and your tastebuds, there are so many other reasons to celebrate them.
A traditional Chess Pie takes sugar, butter, eggs, milk and cornmeal and turns them into an oooey-gooey custard delight, with the cornmeal floating to the top as it bakes, forming a crisp, almost bruléed crust. To give the custard a little more structure and body here, you’ll add softened cream cheese to the mix. While it’s not a standard “custard,” there will be not one single complaint, because texturally, the finished bars fall somewhere between a gooey butter cake and a lemonless lemon bar. In other words, they are faint-worthy, which might actually explain the popularity of smelling salts in the South.
The richness and flavor of the cream cheese even inspired Kyle to cut the amount of confectioners sugar here. The original recipe called for 16 oz. by weight, but this version only uses 10 oz. Traditional Chess Pie also calls for a little vinegar to be added to the filling, which helps cut through the sweetness and actually lends a little bright note to the flavor, but allowing the tang of the cream cheese to shine through will give that same brightness in a more organic way. Tempering the sweetness also balanced the overall flavor of the bars, saving them from being cloying or saccharine, while preserving their addictive quality.
One of the funny things about these bars is that they bear an enticing resemblance to ever popular Lemon Bars, so it’s always fun to watch people dive into them expecting that deep, lip-puckering citrus flavor, only to be momentarily surprised/disappointed, then happily aghast that it has taken them so long to encounter the lush, creamy loveliness of their newfound dessert soulmate.
Food & Wine recommends cutting the bars into small squares, and while that might work from a practical stand point as an hors d’oeuvre, who are they kidding? Cutting them into larger, brownie-style portions will save everyone the effort of multiple trips to the dessert tray, and it also makes for more creative and attractive plating options if you’re going the “romantic dinner dessert course” route. Either way, this is another gluten free crowd pleaser for your entertaining arsenal.
Once you’ve mastered the basic version, you can venture into some other, equally spectacular variations by adding a cup of sweetened, flaked coconut (and even some crushed pineapple) for a more tropical flavor. You could also add a couple of tablespoons of lemon zest or dark cocoa for citrus or chocolate versions. The possibilities are endless. Your move…
Adapted from Food & Wine.
- 10 ounces (about 2 cups) gluten-free all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
- ¼ cup milk
- One 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
- 10 ounces (about 1 ½ cups) confectioners’ sugar, sifted, plus more for garnish
- Heat the oven to 350°. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with parchment paper and spray evenly with baking spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, and salt. Put the granulated sugar, butter, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy.
- Add 1 of the eggs and beat until smooth. Add the dry ingredients and milk and beat on low speed until the dough just comes together and is smooth. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking dish and use your fingers to press it evenly into the bottom.
- In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with a handheld mixer on medium-high speed until smooth and fluffy; add the remaining 3 eggs one at a time, beating well after each, until the mixture is smooth. Add the confectioners’ sugar and beat on low speed until smooth (don’t worry if a few lumps remain.)
- Pour the mixture over the dough in the baking dish and spread out evenly with a rubber spatula. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean and the top is lightly browned, about 40 minutes. Let cool completely, then cut into about 32 small squares. Sprinkle with extra confectioner’s sugar.
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