Chocolate Cream Pie
For several years now, chocolate cream pie has been a Christmas dessert tradition. I love how homey pie is; somehow a flaky, salted crust and sweet filling is always a welcome comfort. So to me, pie is the perfect dessert for the holidays, when family is nestled together and when the feeling of home is most dear. This pie, however homey, is anything but humble. A buttery pecan crust topped with silky dark chocolate filling, cloudy swirls of whipped cream, and elegant chocolate curls make this pie as welcoming as any but glamorous enough for a special affair like Christmas.
A few tips on this recipe: make the crust dough at least a day in advance (or up to three), and leave it to chill in the refrigerator. Pie dough is infamously difficult to work with when it is too warm or overworked. Allowing it to rest in the fridge will make rolling the dough simple, and it helps to develop the flavor and that signature flaky quality. I also recommend using a food processor for the crust; although you can cut the butter into the flour the old fashioned way, food processors make the work much easier and help keep the butter cold for an overall better dough.
Because the various steps require chilling time in between, you can bake the pie the day before serving and fill it with the chocolate cream the next day to break up the work; however, wait to add the whipped cream topping and the chocolate curls until just before serving. The cream is best when freshly whipped (although don’t worry, it will hold up just fine for a few days in the refrigerator - if it lasts that long!) Whatever you do, be sure to allow the chocolate and crust to fully set and cool before topping with the cream, or you will have a melted mess instead of a lovely chocolate cream pie.
Butter Pecan Pie Crust- Makes 1 crust
Equipment:
Food processor
10.5 in. pie dish
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup raw pecans
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 TBS. sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cubed
3-4 TBS. ice cold water (or more as needed)
Method:
Make the pie dough. Pulse the pecans in the food processor until finely ground. Scrape down the sides of the processor bowl, then add the flour, 1/2 tsp of salt, and 1 TBS. sugar. Pulse a few more times to mix. Then add the cold butter a few cubes at a time, pulsing in between each addition. By the time you have added all the butter, your mixture should have a sandy consistency with no visible chunks of butter. Next add the cold water 1 TBS. at a time and pulsing several times in between each addition. Add only enough water for the dough to come together into a ball.
Remove the dough from the food processor and shape it into a flattened disk (you will not need to work the dough, but if it is too sticky, flour a work surface and shape the dough there). Wrap the dough disk in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour but ideally overnight.
Roll out the dough. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow it warm just enough to roll. On a floured work surface roll the dough out in a circle that’s slightly larger than the pie dish and about 1/4 inch thick. Do not worry if the edges are a little irregular as you will be folding these under, and the crust is forgiving. Use the rolling pin to transfer your dough to the pan by rolling the dough onto the pin and then unrolling it over the pan. Adjust the dough so it’s even in the pan. Then fold the edges under, and press down along the rim of the pan to form an even crust. Don’t be afraid to smoosh cracked dough together as needed. Use the tines of a fork to crimp around the entire edge. Prick the bottom of the dough with the fork tines several times to allow air to release during baking. Chill in the refrigerator for 15 to 30 minutes.
Preheat an oven to 375º F, and line the pie dish with parchment paper and pie weighs or baking beans. Bake for 20 minutes with the pie weights, then remove the parchment and pie weights, and bake the crust for an addition 20-25 minutes. The crust should be golden and flaky. Leave it at room temperature to cool completely.
Chocolate Cream Pie - makes one 10.5 in pie
Equipment:
Food processor
Fine mesh sieve
Handheld electric mixer
Vegetable peeler
Ingredients:
One baked butter pecan pie crust
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 1/4 cup + 2 TBS bittersweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup corn syrup
2 tsp. vanilla extract + 1 tsp. vanilla extract for whipped cream
5 large egg yolks
1/4 cup and 1 TBS. brown sugar + 2 TBS. and 1 tsp. brown sugar for whipped cream
3/4 cup whole milk
3/4 cup heavy cream + 1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream for whipped cream
3 TBS. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 bar of dark chocolate (70% cocoa) at room temperature for chocolate curls
Method:
When the crust is cool, make the chocolate filling. Place the chocolate chips, corn syrup, 2 tsp. vanilla extract, and 1/2 tsp. salt in the food processor.
In a medium bowl whisk the egg yolks and 1/4 cup + 1 tbs. brown sugar together until the sugar dissolves and the mixture becomes slightly pale and thick.
Then heat the milk, 3/4 cup heavy cream, and cocoa powder together in a sauce pan over medium heat. Whisk to avoid burning and cook until just below boiling (you should see some steam rising but no boiling bubbles).
Then remove the cream from the heat and temper the egg yolk mixture. Whisking continuously, slowly add about 1/4 cup of hot cream at a time into the egg mixture. Do this until at least half of the cream is added.
Then whisk the egg mixture back into the sauce pan with the remaining hot cream. Return the pan to heat and stir continuously for about 3 or 4 minutes until the mixture is thickened. It should look like melted ice cream and coat the back of a spoon. Remove the pan from the heat.
Pour the hot cream mixture through a fine mesh sieve placed over the food processor. Then pulse the mixture several times until all the chocolate chips are melted, and the mixture is a uniform and creamy consistency. Pour the chocolate filling into the baked pie crust, and cool until set (at least two hours in the refrigerator).
Once the filling is completely chilled, make the whipped cream. Use an electric hand mixer to beat 1 1/2 cups chilled heavy cream, 1 tsp. vanilla extract, and 2 TBS. plus 1 tsp. brown sugar in a large bowl. Beat until stiff peaks form. Spread this evenly over the chocolate filling with a rubber spatula.
Make the chocolate curls. Use a vegetable peeler to slowly shave small chocolate curls off the long edge of the room temperature chocolate bar. It helps to pull the peeler towards yourself. Shave enough curls to cover the top of the pie to your liking.
Pie is best eaten immediately but can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Pie recipe adapted from Tom Douglas and Shelley Lance’s The Dahlia Bakery Cookbook
Crust recipe adapted from Tara Jensen’s A Baker’s Year
