Recipe from Amy Robinette
Adapted by Julia Moskin
- Total Time
- 1 hour 20 minutes, plus cooling
- Rating
- 4(375)
- Notes
- Read community notes
Community-supported agriculture takes many forms these days, but only in Charleston, S.C., will you find a C.S.A. for pie. Amy Robinette, who grew up in Spartanburg, S.C., is committed to adapting Southern desserts, which have often come to rely on supersweet and artificial ingredients, back to real food.
In her kitchen, the chocolate chess pie her grandmother always made — filled with white sugar, evaporated milk, and cocoa powder — has been adapted to local ingredients. The pie gets its name from “pluff” mud, the sticky, sulfurous sediment that lines the bottom of the South Carolina tidal marshes; some say it is the true source of Lowcountry flavor. (Don't let making your own pie crust intimidate you: our pie guide has everything you need to know.) —Julia Moskin
Featured in: The United States of Thanksgiving
Learn: How to Make a Pie Crust
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Ingredients
Yield:8 servings
- 1½cups/354 milliliters honey
- 4½tablespoons/32 grams dark cocoa powder
- 6tablespoons/85 grams butter, cubed
- ¾cup/180 milliliters heavy cream
- 4eggs
- 1chilled, unbaked pie crust in a 9-inch pan (see recipe)
- 2tablespoons/30 milliliters milk
- Flaky sea salt, for topping
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
516 calories; 27 grams fat; 14 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 70 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 53 grams sugars; 5 grams protein; 360 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Combine honey, cocoa, butter and cream in a large heavy-bottom saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until butter is melted and mixture is just starting to simmer.
Step
2
Meanwhile, lightly beat 3 eggs in a medium bowl. Very slowly add ½ cup of hot honey mixture, whisking constantly. Pour tempered egg mixture back into the pot, whisking constantly to keep the eggs from scrambling. Continue to cook, stirring, until mixture is smooth and thick, 3 to 4 minutes; remove from heat.
Step
3
Remove pie crust from refrigerator and flute edges. Whisk together remaining egg and the milk until well combined. Brush egg wash over edge of pie dough, making sure to cover the ins and outs of the fluting.
Step
4
Pour filling into pie shell and lightly tap pie plate on the counter to release any air bubbles. Bake pie for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until filling is no longer soupy when jiggled. Allow pie to cool for at least 3 hours, then sprinkle with sea salt.
Ratings
4
out of 5
375
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Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Jeff K
I made this once and was very disappointed. It tasted overwhelmingly of honey and not much else. Over Thanksgiving, my brother (a much better baker than I) made it, same result.
David Look
I spoke with Julia, she says yes.
Cheryl
Could I make this ahead and freeze?
Huge hit!
This pie is a huge hit with family and friends. I can't eat dairy, so I replace the cream with coconut cream and use Earth Balance. I also definitely bake it for the full hour. I usually make the pie a day ahead to let it fully cool. Most people tell me it tastes like brownie batter but in pie format, so it's worth the work!
Celeste
I loved the story that introduced this recipe, but apparently my one night spent in South Carolina wasn't enough to help me appreciate the somewhat odd texture and rather ho-hum flavor of this pie. Waiting over three hours for it to cool is certainly important, and the flaky sea salt does help make it somewhat tastier.
Danielle
This did not turn out well. Incredibly bitter and then strong honey flavor over the bitterness.
Emily
As a native of Charleston, this recipe caught my eye with the pluff mud in its name and I made it to take to a Thanksgiving gathering. However, tasted overwhelmingly of honey and nobody liked it. Very disappointing.
Blake B
On my third go at this recipe, I used a Bourbon Honey which was a little less thick than most honey so I upped the chocolate to 40 grams to offset the extra moisture. The bourbon flavor and the extra chocolate balanced out the sweetness very nicely.
Amanda
This recipe is awesome. So easy to pull together in a pinch a little planning for the crust. It’s unique and delicious! My guests always clamor for more when I serve this pie. The quality of the ingredients is super important since there are just a few. Use the excellent butter and high quality dark honey!
Danielle
This did not turn out well. Incredibly bitter and then strong honey flavor over the bitterness.
Huge hit!
This pie is a huge hit with family and friends. I can't eat dairy, so I replace the cream with coconut cream and use Earth Balance. I also definitely bake it for the full hour. I usually make the pie a day ahead to let it fully cool. Most people tell me it tastes like brownie batter but in pie format, so it's worth the work!
Adam
We like it!
Jeff K
I made this once and was very disappointed. It tasted overwhelmingly of honey and not much else. Over Thanksgiving, my brother (a much better baker than I) made it, same result.
gminshew
I love this pie. It is like a traditional Chess Pie but all amped up! The crust was very easy to make.
AM
this was so good!!!!
Celeste
I loved the story that introduced this recipe, but apparently my one night spent in South Carolina wasn't enough to help me appreciate the somewhat odd texture and rather ho-hum flavor of this pie. Waiting over three hours for it to cool is certainly important, and the flaky sea salt does help make it somewhat tastier.
MWnyc
I haven't made this, so I can't speak to the flavor, but the odd texture may well resemble the very odd texture of pluff mud, which is something like marshmallow fluff without the stickiness.
Cheryl
Could I make this ahead and freeze?
David Look
I spoke with Julia, she says yes.
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