Chess Pie Bars with Dark Chocolate

These chess pie bars are flaky, filled with chocolate chunks, topped with powdered sugar, and so delicious.

5 Stars (1 Review)

Yield: 16 bars

prep time: 20

cook time: 1

total time: 1 20

The texture and flavor of the filling lies somewhere between a custard pie and a pecan pie. And I included chunks of dark chocolate, just like I enjoyed it in Louisville.

Ingredients

for the crust:
1.25 c. all-purpose flour
¼ c. sugar
pinch of salt
½ c. unsalted butter at room temperature
for the filling:
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. sugar
2 T. cornmeal
1 T. all-purpose flour
¼ tsp. salt
½ c. unsalted butter melted
¼ c. heavy cream
1 T. white vinegar
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs lightly beaten
4 oz. good quality dark chocolate roughly chopped (I used Ghirardelli bittersweet 60% cacao.)
2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Instructions

for the crust:

Preheat oven to 325° F. Spray a 9" square pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. With a pastry blender, cut in the butter until crumbly. Then quickly mix with hands until it forms a dough. Don’t worry if it seems a bit dry. Press dough evenly onto the bottom of prepared pan.
Bake for 10 minutes. Remove to cooling rack while preparing the filling.

for the filling:

Increase oven temperature to 350° F.
Stir together brown sugar, sugar, cornmeal, flour, and salt. Add butter, cream, vinegar, and vanilla. Mix well. Then add the eggs and stir well to combine. Fold in the chocolate pieces and then pour mixture into pre-baked crust.
Bake for 50 minutes, or until the filling is browned and set. Cool completely on a wire rack. To expedite the chocolate setting up in the bars, you can place the pan in the refrigerator for awhile before cutting.
Finish with a light sprinkle of powdered sugar if desired.

Notes

Inspired by a delicious piece of Chess Pie from a visit to Louisville, KY. Recipe heavily adapted from Southern Living (March 2000).

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1 Calories: 316kcal Carbohydrates: 40g Protein: 3g Fat: 16g Saturated Fat: 10g Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g Cholesterol: 82mg Sodium: 70mg Fiber: 1g Sugar: 30g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Spoonacular. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your own favorite calculator.