Classic Southern Chess Pie vs Cannelés de Bordeaux: Caramelized Rum and Vanilla Pastries

Both desserts start from milk, butter and eggs, yet they put them to very different work. Chess pie is a sweet sugar-and-butter filling bound with four eggs and just a splash of milk, with cornmeal and a touch of vinegar, baked in a pie crust until the edges set and the center keeps a slight wobble. Cannelés instead build on a milk-rich batter with extra egg yolks, a little butter, vanilla and dark rum, rested for at least 12 hours. Baked in molds until deep mahogany, they develop a crisp, caramelized exterior.