For nine decades, Our State has made its way into homes across North Carolina, the United States, and the world. To celebrate, every month this year, we’re paying tribute to the readers who inspire us, offering a taste of our earliest recipes, and revisiting old stories with new insights. Follow along to find out how our past has shaped our present.

December 17, 1949 • Before refrigerators, the pie safe or chest was a freestanding kitchen cabinet with perforated metal paneling on its doors to allow adequate airflow to the dishes inside. Although no one can definitively say where the name “chess pie” came from, some speculate that because of the Southern accent, the “t” got lost over the years.

Yield: 6 servings.

1 cup light brown sugar
4 large eggs
4 tablespoons salted butter, melted
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons cornmeal
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 unbaked pie shell

Preheat oven to 350°.

In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat sugar, eggs, butter, cream, and vanilla for 2 to 3 minutes. Add cornmeal, flour, and apple cider vinegar; mix well. Pour mixture into the pie shell. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until the center jiggles slightly. Let pie cool on a wire rack for 1 hour before serving.

— Recipe adapted by Lynn Wells