There are so many great reasons to make Chai Spice at home! It is a blend of warm fall spices that make it perfect for cakes, cookies, and even your coffee or tea.

Chai spice is one of my favorite fall flavors! I really love making spice blends at home because I feel like they have more flavor, and they also have fewer preservatives! If you are like me, you’ll love this Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice that I always have on hand or this Apple Pie Spice which is so perfect for fall desserts! I also love savory homemade spices like Cajun Seasoning and this Homemade Fajita Seasoning.

Chai Spice Recipe

Chai spice is so easy to make at home, and it tastes so fresh and warm! I absolutely love having this spice blend on hand. It is great for baking fall treats and adding to your tea or your morning oatmeal. Chai spice doesn’t actually have any chai leaves in it. It is a blend of spices like cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom. A lot of people don’t know that it’s really easy to make at home!

If you have only had chai spice in your coffee, you’re going to love how versatile this spice blend is! It’s similar to a pumpkin pie spice because it has all the warm spices that go great in pumpkin pie or apple cobbler. It has white pepper which gives it a little heat that feels great in a warm tea or chai latte.

Ingredients

All of these ingredients are dry spices that you might already have in your pantry. This spice blend is so easy to make and full of flavor. I love the warm spices that bring out great flavors of fall.

• Ground Cinnamon: This is a must for your fall recipes!
• Ginger: It adds spice and a little sweetness.
• Cardamom: This spice is piney and fruity and perfect for fall baking.
• Allspice: It’s actually made from one plant and tastes like all fall spices in one!
• Nutmeg: It’s what gives eggnog it’s Holiday flavor and it adds so much to this blend.
• Cloves: They are a little sweet with plenty of warmth.
• Ground White Pepper: This little kick is what makes your spices warm in your mouth and makes Chai spice different from other blends

How to Make Chai Spice

It’s as easy as dump and mix. It takes 2 minutes to mix and you will have chai spice in your cabinet for a year.

1. Measure: Measure all of the spices into a bowl.
2. Combine: Whisk the spices together until combined.
3. Store: Store in an airtight container or jar at room temperature for up to 1 year.
4. Use: Use as needed in baked goods or recipes that call for chai spice.

Fall Recipes to Try

Baking is one of my favorite things to do in the fall. The oven heats up the house and makes it smell warm and like the Holidays are coming! It’s also a great time to share treats with friends and family who are visiting. I am so happy to share some of my favorite fall treats with you!

Desserts

Apple Dump Cake

Desserts

Caramel Apple Upside-Down Cake

Desserts

Pumpkin Cheesecake Snickerdoodles

Desserts

Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll Cake

Print

Chai Spice

There are so many great reasons to make Chai Spice at home! It is a blend of warm fall spices that make it perfect for cakes, cookies, and even your coffee or tea!

Course Seasoning

Cuisine Indian

Keyword Chai Spice, Homemade Spice

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 0 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Servings 8

Calories 19kcal

Author Alyssa Rivers

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons ginger
• 1 tablespoons cardamom
• 2 teaspoons allspice
• 2 teaspoons nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground white pepper

Instructions

• Measure all of the spices into a bowl.
• Whisk the spices together until combined.
• Store in an airtight container or jar at room temperature for up to 1 year.
• Use as needed in baked goods or recipes that call for chai spice.

Nutrition

Serving: 1tablespoon | Calories: 19kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 0.4g | Fat: 0.4g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.03g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.04g | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 41mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 0.3g | Vitamin A: 15IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 1mg

Halloween has always been my favorite holiday, though my appreciation for it has changed substantially over the years. Long gone are the nights spent trick-or-treating, seeking the thrill of the hunt as much as the sugar high to follow. Off-the-shelf costumes are permanently off the shopping list, since I refuse to dress as the “sexy” version of literally anything. Now, I’m content to enjoy the spooky season in a similar way to other special events: By playing with my food.

Whether you’re throwing a Halloween party for one or one hundred, solid snacks are an absolute must. Balancing out the abundance of candy and booze alike, reasonably healthy and savory options are paramount to killer bash. For that, I turn to classic guacamole, but with a ghoulish twist.

Pick your favorite recipe and get crafty! Here are four different ways to dress up the same old green goop as a fun, festive party starter.

Sick Dip

I’m sure everyone’s familiar with the classic barfing jack-o-lantern motif by now, but what if we could make that into an edible centerpiece? Allow me to present sick dip, replacing the pumpkin with a carved bell pepper.

1. Cut around the top in a jagged pattern just like you would for a traditional jack-o-lantern. Pull off the top and remove the seeds and membrane inside.
2. Use a paring knife to carefully carve out eyes and a large opening for the mouth.
3. Place the pepper on a serving plate and fill it with your guacamole, pushing some out the mouth hole.
4. Fill the rest of the plate with more guacamole and place the top back onto the pepper.
5. Serve with the paring knife sticking out of the pepper for guests to slice off their own crudites.

Guacamole Graveyard

Parting is such savory sorrow when the final resting place is this delicious. You could pipe “RIP” onto the tombstones with smooth guaca-mole, but I prefer to keep it simple and classy.

1. Spread your guacamole into a rectangular dish an in even layer.
2. Stick crackers in, spaced at regular intervals, in two or three rows.
3. Spoon a mound of minced black olives or tapenade in front of each cracker tombstone to make the burial plots.
4. Serve with more crackers on the side.

Monster Mash

Kids will especially love this silly Frankenstein face! You may even be able to convince them to eat their veggies this way. You can even blend fresh spinach into the guacamole to make it more green and add an extra superfood boost.

1. Spread your guacamole in a circle on a round plate, leaving a larger border at the top.
2. Stick crackers or cut vegetable crudites into the top part for the hair.
3. Cut a black olive in half and add them to the middle as eyes.
4. Cut a jagged smile out of a bell pepper or carrot slice for the mouth.

Wicked Web

When all else fails, weave a simple spiderweb that’s guaranteed to catch guests’ attention.

1. Spread your guacamole into a round dish in an even layer.
2. Drizzle plain, unsweetened vegan yogurt, ranch dressing, or sour cream in a spiral pattern, starting in the center and radiating out.
3. Use a toothpick to drag the loops alternating inward and outward from the center.
4. For the spider, place one whole olive near the middle of the web. Cut another olive in half lengthwise, and then slice four little legs from each piece. Arrange them next to the side body.
5. Enjoy with any of your favorite dippers.

Get into the Halloween spirit and whip up a ghastly appetizer that will haunt your friends and family all season! What’s your favorite diabolical dish?

The post GuacTober appeared first on BitterSweet.

These baked apple cider donuts are rich, soft, and filled with spiced apple flavor! Topped with a creamy apple glaze, they almost look too good to eat! They’re the perfect addition to any fall get-together.

Pumpkin spice gets a lot of love this time of year, but it’s time for apple desserts to be in the spotlight! You need to try this apple pecan crisp, apple tart, and tasty apple bread next!

Baked Apple Cider Donuts

Love donuts? Do you also love spiced apple desserts? This is the best combination of the two. These apple cider donuts are rich, moist, and filled with mouthwatering spiced apple flavor. One bite and you’ll be hooked!

These donuts have a moist, cakey texture that you’re going to love. With how soft and flavorful they are, you won’t be able to stop at one! The vanilla apple cider glaze on top not only makes these donuts look amazing, but adds an extra pop of flavor as well! They’ll be a hit at every fall gathering.

Ingredients You’ll Need

One of the best things about these apple cider donuts is that they use a lot of simple baking ingredients. You probably already have most of them on hand! Grab those apples on your counter and break out your spice rack! You can find all measurements below in the recipe card.

• Apple Cider: Because apple is the main flavor here, we will be boiling this down to create a more concentrated version of apple cider!
• Flour: Regular all-purpose flour works just fine!
• Baking Powder and Baking Soda: You’ll need both to keep your donuts from becoming too dense.
• Spices: Time to break out the spice rack! The tasty fall spices are what make these donuts so yummy! I used cinnamon, clove, allspice, nutmeg, and cardamom.
• Salt: Just a pinch will enhance the overall flavor of your donut batter.
• Butter: Butter makes everything better! It adds rich flavor and moisture to these apple cider donuts.
• Egg: An egg will help bind all of the ingredients together.
• Brown Sugar: I love using brown sugar here because it has a deeper, smokier flavor that pairs perfectly with apple and all of the spices.
• Milk: I used whole-fat milk to keep the donuts moist.
• Vanilla Extract: Your standard vanilla extract will work here, but I recommend using pure vanilla extract if you have it for the best flavor!
• Shredded Apple: I tend to go for sweeter apples like Honeycrisp in my baking, but tart apples like Granny Smith work great, too!

Glaze:

• Powdered Sugar: Powdered sugar gives the glaze its texture and also adds the perfect sweetness.
• Apple Cider Drink Mix: This is an easy way to add a pop of apple flavor to frosting and glaze for all of your fall desserts!
• Vanilla Extract: Helps to deepen the flavor of the glaze.
• Milk: Used to adjust the consistency of the glaze.

How to Make Baked Apple Cider Donuts

Homemade donuts are the best! They’re even better filled with warm spices and comforting fall flavor. (If you’re a pumpkin lover, you’ll also have to try my baked pumpkin donuts!) This is a recipe you’ll want to come back to again and again, all season long!

1. Reduce Apple Cider: Firstly, reduce your apple cider to ½ cup. Bring the cider to a boil in a small saucepan, then reduce heat and let simmer uncovered for 30-50 minutes. Stir occasionally.
2. Shred Apple: Once you have reduced your cider to ½ cup, set aside to cool and shred your apple. Peel a large apple and shred it with a cheese grater, you will need to squeeze out some excess juice.
3. Preheat Oven, Prep Donut Pan: Preheat your oven to 350℉ and prepare your donut pan by spraying with nonstick spray.
4. Mix Dry Ingredients and Spices: In a bowl whisk together your flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, clove, allspice, nutmeg, cardamom, and salt.
5. Mix Wet Ingredients and Shredded Apple: In a separate bowl whisk together your butter, egg, brown sugar, whole milk, vanilla, and shredded apple.
6. Combine: Pour your wet ingredients and reduced apple cider into your dry ingredients. Whisk everything together until well combined, no clumps should remain.
7. Add to Pan: Pour your batter into your prepared donut pan. You can also use a piping bag with the tip cut off to pipe the batter into the pan, filling each cavity about halfway.
8. Bake: Bake for 10-12 minutes. To check doneness, tap the top of a donut, when it bounces back it is ready. Then, remove the donuts from oven and allow to cool in the pan 2-3 minutes.
9. Cool: Lastly, remove donuts from pan and allow to finish cooling on a wire rack before glazing.

To Make the Glaze:

1. Combine Ingredients: In a bowl, mix together your powdered sugar, apple cider mix, vanilla, and milk.
2. Dip: When your donuts have cooled, dip one side into glaze, allowing any excess glaze to drip off back into the bowl.
3. Garnish: (Optional) Dust with cinnamon.

More Apple Desserts

Nothing screams fall more than a delicious apple dessert! I’ve rounded up a few more tried and true recipes for you to make this season. They’re packed with tasty apple flavor and warm spice! Find more apple recipes here.

Breakfast

Apple Danish

Desserts

Apple Dump Cake

Beverages

Easy Crockpot Apple Cider

Dinner

Irish Apple Cake

Print

Apple Cider Donuts

These baked apple cider donuts are rich, soft, and filled with spiced apple flavor! Topped with a creamy apple glaze, they almost look too good to eat! They’re the perfect addition to any fall get-together.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword apple cider donuts recipe, baked apple cider donut recipe

Prep Time 1 hour

Cook Time 12 minutes

glazing 10 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 22 minutes

Servings 24 people

Calories 155kcal

Author Alyssa Rivers

Ingredients

• 2 cups apple cider ½ cup reduced cider
• 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon Plus more for garnish
• ½ teaspoon clove
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon cardamom
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons butter melted
• 1 large egg room temperature
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• ½ cup whole milk room temperature
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup shredded apple

Glaze:

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• ½ packet apple cider drink mix
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 6 tablespoons milk

Instructions

• Reduce the apple cider to ½ cup. Bring the cider to a boil in a small saucepan, once it has been brought to a rolling boil, reduce heat and let simmer, uncovered for about 30-50 minutes. Stirring occasionally.
• Once you have reduced your cider to ½ cup, set aside to cool and shred your apple. Peel a large apple and shred it with a cheese grater, you will need to squeeze out some excess juice.
• Preheat your oven to 350℉ and prepare your donut pan by spraying with nonstick spray.
• In a bowl whisk together your flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, clove, allspice, nutmeg, cardamom, and salt.
• In a separate bowl whisk together your butter, egg, brown sugar, whole milk, vanilla, and shredded apple.
• Pour your wet ingredients and reduced apple cider into your dry ingredients. Whisk everything together until well combined, no clumps should remain.
• Pour your batter into your prepared donut pan. You can use a piping bag with the tip cut off to pipe the batter into the pan, filling each cavity about halfway.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes. To check doneness, tap the top of a donut, if it bounces back it is ready. Remove the donuts from oven and allow to cool in the pan 2-3 minutes.
• Remove donuts from pan and allow to finish cooling on a wire rack before glazing.

For the glaze

• In a bowl, mix together your powdered sugar, apple cider mix, vanilla, and milk.
• Take your cooled donuts and dip one side into glaze, allowing any excess glaze to drip off back into the bowl.
• Optional: Dust with cinnamon

Notes

If you overfill the donut cavities your donuts will spill out and be misshapen, be careful to only fill half full.
I glazed only the tops of the donuts, you can glaze the whole donut if you’d like!

Nutrition

Calories: 155kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 116mg | Potassium: 100mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 69IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 1mg

For some reason, fall always feels like a time for new beginnings. I know, I know—it’s when everything outside starts to die and wither and the general natural world pretty much passes out until spring, so how is that particularly reinvigorating? Well, if you enjoy quiet and peace and solitude, this ease into hibernation is like a breath of fresh air. Not that I don’t enjoy summer—I most definitely do. It’s just that summer is so busy and hectic and frenetic that by the time it’s over I’m completely exhausted and just want to curl up in a cave with a roaring fire, some soup, and a good book and camp out there until spring. It’s a time to step back from the world and nest and create comfort for yourself. And for me a big part of that is baking + enjoying the cozy flavors of the season, hence this elaborately decorated mushroom galette.

Now, don’t be put off by the fancy exterior—the filling is of the simplest and most delicious sort. Sautéed mushrooms, garlic, and onions with herby thyme and crumbled tangy chevre cheese, it’s a very easy filling to make and allows the flavors of each comforting element to shine brightly and to their fullest. I don’t expect you to decorate your mushroom galette to the nines like this, though; a simple few cut-outs with a leaf-shaped cookie cutter will add a festive autumnal air to it just as well. Or you can forego the decorations altogether and keep it simple with a plain undecorated top crust, just make sure to poke some holes in the top for the steam to escape through.

And it’s important to note that this mushroom galette requires you to sauté the filling first to cook the water out of the mushrooms and onions before you put it in the galette. The key to making any pastry that has a pre-cooked filling is to ensure the filling is COMPLETELY cooled before assembling it onto the pastry dough, otherwise the butter in the pastry melts from the hot filling and you’re left with an absolute mess of soggy tearing pastry dough. So I recommend either making the mushroom filling the day before and popping it in the refrigerator overnight, or making the filling in the morning and allowing it to cool until you start making the pastry later in the day. And FYI, you can make this with any kind of mushrooms (that are safe to eat, of course). Chanterelles, shiitake, maitake, cremini, white button—they’ll all taste stellar in here as long as you follow the directions. I hope you enjoy it, my friend, and soak up the savory magic of mushroom season while it’s around. (And I have some more mushroom recipes here and here and here if you’re looking for some autumnal recipes to dive into!)

This easy homemade Salisbury Steak recipe is among the comfort food classics with ground beef steaks cooked in the best homemade mushroom gravy. It’s a simple recipe using everyday ingredients.

Salisbury Steak is the number one requested meal by my whole family. They love the warm comfort of hamburger steak cooked in a lovely, rich gravy. We usually serve it over creamy oven baked mashed potatoes. If we’re watching carbs then I whip up my cauliflower mashed potatoes instead. Since there’s a delicious gravy in the recipe, you definitely want to serve it with something you can scoop up all the gravy with!

Why is is called Salisbury Steak?

Salisbury Steak is a classic dish that is somewhat of a cross between hamburger patties and meatloaf. It’s served covered with a savory mushroom gravy with onions. This hamburger steak dish was named after Dr. James Henry Salisbury, a doctor who studied nutrition in the 19th century and was a big proponent of minced beef as a health food, according to Smithsonian magazine. 

This recipe comes from The Cozy Cookbook (a first cookbook by Stephanie Melchione of TheCozyCook.com). The book is full of awesome, family-friendly recipes that include a lot of great ideas for dinner. It’s one of those cookbooks I’ll be reaching for again and again for favorite repeat recipes!  I highly suggest you add it to your cookbook shelf too.

Here are several recipes I’ve bookmarked to make for dinner in the weeks to come:

• Best-Ever Tomato Soup
• Chicken and Rice Soup
• Slow Cooker Ribs
• Slow Cooker Pot Roast
• Creamy Ranch Chicken
• Tuscan Chicken
• Creamy Sausage Pasta
• Chicken Scampi
• Chicken and Stuffing Casserole

What is Salisbury Steak made of?

• extra virgin olive oil
• onion
• garlic
• egg
• milk
• ketchup and mustard
• Worcestershire sauce
• dried oregano, onion & garlic powder, and salt and pepper
• Italian bread crumbs or panko
• 80% lean ground beef
• sliced white mushrooms
• unsalted butter
• all purpose flour
• beef broth or beef stock
• bouillon cube
• fresh parsley

How to make Salisbury Steak:

The complete, printable recipe is at the end of this post.

PREPARE THE STEAKS:

1. In a deep 12-inch large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Saute the onions and garlic for 5 minutes over medium heat. Remove from the pan to a bowl, and let cool.
2. In a large bowl, combine egg, milk, mustard, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, salt, oregano and pepper. Add the breadcrumbs and stir to form a paste. Stir in the cooled onions and garlic. Add the ground beef and mix until just combined.
3. Form the ground beef mixture into 4 oval patties. Refrigerate for (at least) 15 minutes to ensure they stay intact while cooking.
4. Using the same skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Brown 2 steaks at a time for 1 minute on each side, then remove and set aside. The centers will be uncooked.

PREPARE THE GRAVY:

1. Using the same skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-heat. Add the onions and saute for about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for 3 to 5 more minutes, until golden. Add the butter and let it melt. Whisk in the flour for 1 to 2 minutes, until it begins to brown.
2. Add the beef broth in small amounts, stirring continuously. Add the bouillon cube, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder and garlic powder. Bring the gravy to a boil, then reduce to a simmer at low heat.
3. Add the meat patties back to the skillet and spoon the sauce on top. Cover and cook for 10 to 15 minutes.

Sprinkle with fresh parsley, and it’s ready to serve. It’s classic comfort food!

What’s the difference between Salisbury Steak and Hamburger Steak?

Although the name “Salisbury Steak” implies that these are steaks, they’re actually tender beef patties in a rich mushroom gravy. Hamburger steaks are very simply made of ground beef with salt and pepper and no gravy.

This is a super easy, affordable recipe and easy dinner made with simple ingredients that everyone will love- even picky eaters!

That rich brown gravy is everything! If you don’t want to waste a drop of it, serve it with chunks of Dutch Oven Bread too. Green beans are the perfect side dish to Salisbury Steak. And don’t forget the mashed potatoes too. Enjoy!

Leftover Salisbury Steak can be stored in an airtight container, refrigerated and eaten within a couple of days.

The Best Comfort Food Recipes:

• Chicken Fried Steak with Country Gravy
• Fettuccine Alfredo
• Savory Beef Tips and Gravy
• Tortellini Mac and Cheese
• Mom’s Pot Roast

Print

Salisbury Steak

Great comfort food for dinner!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword salisbury, Steak

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 626kcal

Author RecipeGirl.com (shared from The Cozy Cookbook)

Ingredients

STEAK:

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• ½ cup finely diced yellow onion
• 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large egg, beaten
• ⅓ cup milk
• 1 teaspoon prepared mustard
• 1 teaspoon ketchup
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ⅓ cup Italian breadcrumbs or panko
• 1 pound 80% lean ground beef

GRAVY:

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• ½ cup finely diced yellow onion
• 8 ounces sliced white button mushrooms
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 2½ cups beef broth
• 1 cube beef bouillon
• 1½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Instructions

PREPARE THE STEAKS:

• In a deep 12-inch skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Saute the onions and garlic for 5 minutes. Remove from the pan to a bowl, and let cool.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the egg, milk, mustard, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, salt, oregano and pepper. Add the breadcrumbs and stir to form a paste. Stir in the cooled onions and garlic. Add the ground beef and mix until just combined.
• Form the ground beef mixture into 4 oval steak patties. Refrigerate for (at least) 15 minutes to ensure they stay intact while cooking.
• Using the same skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Brown 2 steaks at a time for 1 minute on each side, then remove and set aside. The centers will be uncooked.

PREPARE THE GRAVY:

• Using the same skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-heat. Add the onions and saute for about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for 3 to 5 more minutes, until golden. Add the butter and let it melt. Whisk in the flour for 1 to 2 minutes, until it begins to brown.
• Add the beef broth in small amounts, stirring continuously. Add the bouillon cube, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder and garlic powder. Bring the gravy to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
• Add the steaks back to the skillet and spoon the sauce on top. Cover and cook for 10 to 15 minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley, and serve.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 626kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 48g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 23g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 152mg | Sodium: 1525mg | Potassium: 762mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 398IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 109mg | Iron: 4mg

The post Salisbury Steak appeared first on Recipe Girl®.

What’s that saying? You can take the girl out of Kentucky, but you can’t take the Kentucky out of the girl? Well, today’s recipe is case in point. This brown butter bourbon chess pie is all of my favorite flavors. Sweet and salty, with subtle caramel and nutty undertones, this Southern pie is RICH and seriously delicious. If you’re looking for the perfect fall-flavored pie, you’re in luck! Let’s dive in.

Chess Pie

So what is a chess pie? Similar to a custard pie, chess pies bake up with eggs, sugar, cornmeal, milk, and vinegar. Sounds weird? Yeah, I kinda agree. But somehow, it totally works. Some add lemon, others add cocoa powder, and some just choose a simple buttermilk filling; all are delicious, if you ask me.

Chess pies are wildly popular here in the South and usually find a home in old timey recipe boxes and cookbooks. Usually made with a buttery pastry pie crust, chess pies have gooey centers that are somewhat reminiscent of gooey butter cake bars, and today’s pie is no exception. If you’re salivating, let me tell you about this bourbon situation.

Brown Butter Bourbon Chess Pie

Brown butter is king on this blog. If you’re unfamiliar with how to brown butter, please check out my in-depth tutorial here! It’s the perfect underlying flavor for this pie’s other components which include bourbon and brown sugar. For the bourbon, I like to use a high quality spirit that I enjoy sipping on, because the flavor really comes out. Rule number one: Bottom barrel whiskeys need not apply here.

How to Make Bourbon Chess Pie

To make this bourbon chess pie, we start with a perfect pie crust. I opt for my all-time favorite recipe which you can find here. Once par-baked, the filling ingredients come together: brown butter, sugar, cornmeal, milk, eggs, and bourbon. The mixtures stirs together until smooth and then is poured into the crust. The pie bakes for about 45 minutes or until the center of the pie barely wiggles. Allow the whole thing to cool completely prior to serving.

I’d recommend serving this pie with a cup of coffee or at least a glass of water- it is RICH. Like most Southern desserts, this bourbon chess pie will definitely satisfy a hungry sweet tooth. If you get a chance to make it, let me know what you think! In the meantime, happy Thursday and happy baking!

If you like this recipe for Brown Butter Bourbon Chess Pie you should try:

Bourbon Pecan Granola
Salted Maple Pie
Bourbon Brown Butter Snickerdoodles
Bourbon Bundt Cake
Chocolate Chess Pie

Brown Butter Bourbon Chess Pie

Print Recipe

This brown butter bourbon chess pie is a gooey, sweet and salty pie with warm hints of whiskey.

• Author: Kate Wood
• Prep Time: 30
• Cook Time: 60
• Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Yield: 9 Servings
• Category: Dessert

Ingredients

For the crust:

• 1–3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespons chilled solid vegetable shortening, cut into pieces
• 6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 5 tablespoons (approximately) ice water
• 1 large egg whisked with 1 teaspoon water

For the pie:

• ½ cup unsalted butter, cubed
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 2 tablespoons cornmeal
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup milk
• 2 tablespoons quality bourbon
• 1 white tablespoon vinegar
• 4 large eggs, beaten

Instructions

To prepare the crust:

1. Whiz the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor to combine (Note: you can also do this by hand with a pastry cutter!) Pulse in the shortening and butter, just until evenly dispersed in pea-sized clumps. Begin adding ice water 2 tablespoons at a time until moist clumps begin to form. Remove dough from food processor, form it into a flat round disk, and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge for at least an hour prior to use.
2. When you’re ready to bake the pie, roll the dough out on a well-floured surface into a 1/8-1/4” circle about an inch larger than your pie plate on all sides. Roll the dough loosely back onto the rolling pin and lift it into the pie dish. Gently fit the dough into the pie plate and trim off any excess dough leaving a 1” border around the edge of the dish. Fold the lip of the dough under so that it extends just over the edge of the pie plate and crimp the edges as you prefer. Prick a few holes in the bottom of the dough with a fork and place the whole pan into the freezer to chill briefly, about 15 minutes. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
3. When the oven is preheated, remove the pie plate from the freezer and line the insides of it with a piece of parchment paper. Use either pie weights or dry beans/rice to weigh down the dough and bake for about 20 minutes. Low the oven temp to 350 degrees and set the pie aside to cool while you prepare your filling.

To prepare the filling:

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, begin browning the butter. Slowly melt the butter, stirring regularly. The butter will begin to fizz and foam- stir constantly and do not let the butter burn. You’ll notice amber flecks showing up on the bottom of your pan- keep stirring until you notice a nutty aroma and the butter mixture is mostly golden. Remove from heat to a separate bowl immediately, being sure to scrape any of the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Set it aside.
2. In a large bowl, stir to combine the sugar, brown sugar, cornmeal flour, and salt. Add the eggs, milk, bourbon, and vinegar, whisking to combine. Stir in the eggs thoroughly and finally add in the butter. Pour the mixture into your par-baked pie shell. Bake in the 350 degree oven for about 45-50 minutes or until the edges are well set and the innermost circle of pie is still just a bit jiggly. Allow to cool completely prior to slicing. Serve slices with a sprinkle of flaked fleur de sel.