Martha's Chess Tart

3.4

(76)

Martha's variation on the classic chess pie tastes like a candy bar.

Servings:

12

Yield:

1 9-inch tart

Martha's chess tart is an easy riff on the classic Southern dessert, chess pie. It has a cookie-crumb crust made with Nilla wafers, rather than the usual pastry shell—no rolling dough is needed. And it’s shallower than a chess pie, so the resulting dessert, with a sweet cookie crust and a gooey, custard filling made with two sugars, is almost like a candy bar. A little cornmeal (just a tablespoon) gives the filling a slight crunch.

Let the pie chill in the refrigerator before you enjoy it and cut thin slices, because it's very tasty, but also very rich.

Directions

Preheat oven; make cookie-crumb crust:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Make the tart shell: Coat a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom with cooking spray. Mix together wafers, butter, granulated sugar, and salt.
Press cookie-crumb crust into prepared pan:

Press mixture into bottom and up sides of pan. Refrigerate until set, about 15 minutes.
Bake crust:

Transfer pan to a rimmed baking sheet, and bake until tart shell is golden, about 12 minutes. Let cool slightly. Reduce oven to 325°F.
Make filling:

Mix together sugars, cornmeal, and salt, breaking up clumps. Whisk in eggs, yolk, and vanilla. Whisk in butter.
Pour filling into shell and bake:

Pour filling into tart shell. Bake until top is dark golden brown and edge is set but center is still a bit wobbly, 35 to 40 minutes.
Cool, then refrigerate:

Transfer pan to a wire rack, and let cool for 15 minutes. Refrigerate until cooled, at least 2 hours or overnight.