This is a very February feeling type of pie: red fruits melded with rich fudgy chocolate and encased in a beautiful lattice of flaky pastry. With a big dollop of soft whipped cream, it is decadent and so perfect for the month of love.

Tart cherries and raspberries are the ideal foil for the richness of a fudgy filling, which is why a fruit coulis often accompanies a chocolate dessert. So it makes sense to bake them together into one pie. This pie is a little technically challenging as my bakes go, but the result is well worth the effort. This dessert is irresistible.

As my husband said: “I only wanted one bite, but then… I ate the whole thing.”

Here are my recipe tips. First make the pie dough the day before you want to bake or at least allow for several hours of chilling before rolling. Pie dough is tricky to work with when it hasn’t had time to relax and chill fully. You can also make the chocolate and cherry fillings the day before and keep them in the fridge until you are ready to assemble the pie.

If you’re looking to achieve a really beautiful lattice, I also recommend that you chill the dough repeatedly during the assembly. Roll the bottom crust, and then chill it for 20 minutes in the pie dish before adding the fillings. This will help prevent shrinking in the oven. Also chill the rolled out top lattice before placing it over the pie, and chill the entire pie again for 20 minutes before actually baking. I know this seems a little excessive, but it works. A properly chilled pie is not only beautiful but it’s the best way to get that buttery flaky crust.

When you finally have your fully assembled and chilled pie, bake the pie in the bottom third of your oven, on convection bake if you can, and place the pie on a heavy duty baking sheet. All of these steps will help prevent over browning on the top of your pie while ensuring your bottom crust is fully cooked through. I do a very light egg wash on the top crust, and I cover the outside crust with a silicon pie crust shield half way through the bake. In my experience the egg wash and the shield really help in achieving an evenly golden and flaky crust. If you don’t have a pie crust shield, you can use aluminum foil as well.

All Butter Double Pie Crust: Makes top and bottom crust

Equipment:

• Food processor

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp kosher salt

• 2 TBS. sugar

• 1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cubed

• 1/2 cup cold water + more as needed

Method:

1. Pulse the flour, sugar, and salt together in a food processor a couple of times to mix.

2. A few cubes at a time, add the butter to the flour mixture, pulsing in between each addition. Continue until all the butter is added and the mixture takes on a sand-like texture.

3. Add the water a few tablespoons at a time, pulsing several times between each addition. Pulse until the dough begins coming together in a ball. Only add the the full 1/2 cup if the dough is too dry to come together. Slowly add additional water as needed to bring the dough together.

4. Remove the dough, form it into two equal sized disks, and wrap them in plastic wrap. Store the dough in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight or a couple days before baking.

Cherry Chocolate Fudge Pie - Makes 1 pie

Equipment:

• Pie dish (10 1/2 in. diameter)

• Heavy duty baking sheet

• Rolling pin

Ingredients:

• 1 prepared recipe all-butter double pie crust (above)

• 1 egg + 1 TBS. heavy cream for egg wash

• Fresh whipped cream for serving (optional)

Cherry Raspberry Filling

• 3 cups frozen pitted cherries

• 1/2 cup fresh raspberries

• 3/4 cup sugar

• 3 TBS. corn starch

• Pinch of salt

• Zest of 1 lemon

• 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Chocolate Fudge Filling

• 1 1/4 cups heavy cream

• 9 oz. semisweet chocolate chips

• 2 large eggs

• 1/4 tsp. salt

Method:

1. Roll out the bottom crust and line your pie dish. Prick the bottom all over with the tines of a fork and place the dish in the refrigerator to chill.

2. Roll out the top crust. Cut and shape it into a lattice if desired. Chill the top in the refrigerator while you make the fillings.

3. Combine the cherry raspberry filling ingredients in a medium sauce pan and stir. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes. Place the pan over medium low heat and cook, stirring frequently until it boils, thickens, and the cherries burst, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

4. Make the chocolate fudge filling. Combine the eggs and salt in a small bowl and whisk.

5. Place the chocolate chips in a different large bowl. Then bring the heavy cream to a boi in a small sauce pan. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let stand for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, stir the chocolate and cream until the chocolate is fully melted and the cream is fully incorporated.

6. Whisking continuously, very slowly pour the eggs into the melted chocolate and cream mixture. Only add a little egg at a time to avoid curdling the eggs. Stir to fully incorporate the eggs into the chocolate. Set aside to cool.

7. Once the fillings are cooled, assemble the pie. Pour the chocolate into the bottom. Then gently top the chocolate with the cherry filling. Just spoon the cherry filling all over but avoid spreading it and mixing the two fillings together. Then top the pie with the top crust. Crimp the edges (be very careful to avoid pressing the filling out as you crimp). Beat the egg and 1 TBS. heavy cream together and very lightly brush the top crust in an even layer.

8. Preheat the oven to 375ºF (convection setting if you have it). Place the rack in the bottom third of the oven.

9. Refrigerate the assembled pie for 30 minutes.

10. Bake the pie for 45-55 minutes or until golden brown. If you can see the filling, the chocolate filling will look solid and shiny and the cherry filling will be bubbling hot when done.

11. Allow the pie to cool completely before cutting. Serve with fresh whipped cream and lots of love. Store pie covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Recipe adapted from Food52