Old Fashioned Chess Pie

I had family visiting a few months ago and I wanted a one bowl, chocolate free dessert - I thought of Chess Pie, which is a very old-fashioned, Southern sort of pie. I went to my source for all things old-fashioned, The Pierian Study Club Cookbook from San Saba, Texas.

My Mom gifted me with this nifty volume containing all four editions from 1948, 1956, 1962 and 1994. My family on both sides are from this small town so its fun seeing recipes from family members and its interesting to see how the recipes change through time - there's a lot more I would like to make (and eat) in the earlier years.

Chess Pie is a perfect example:
The 1948 edition has one recipe - traditional (cornmeal, no lemon), 1956 has Lemon Chess, 1962 has four recipes - including one that calls for evaporated milk, dates and raisins (!!!), 1994 only has 10 pie recipes in total and no chess.

I went for the 1948 version from Mrs. Frank Sloan - Merne is my Uncle Bill's mother and at 90+ is still living on her own out in the country (and driving!). She is also an excellent cook.

Couple of typos - should be beat thoroughly (not heat) and should be 350 degrees - not 250.

Important note: For Chess pie all your ingredients should be room temperature. And I used stone ground cornmeal - would be better with regular yellow cornmeal.

I am not much of a pie person, but this is a good one - sweet and custardy with good vanilla flavor.