CHOCOLATE CREAM PIE...a winner!

If you want to make something so delicious... that friends will ask about it before rsvp-ing...kids will request it instead of birthday cake...and every holiday won't really be a holiday unless it's on the dessert table... then you will want to make this chocolate cream pie.  It is a winner in our home and this pie has a collection of ribbons to it's name too.

Time to roll up your sleeves... (actually, it's quite easy and worth every bit of trouble...no sleeve rolling will be necessary...hooray)

You'll need a baked and cooled curst.  May I recommend my recipe...please feel free to check out PERFECT PIE CRUST 101 ...of course you can use your own pie dough recipe... store bought will get the job done in a pinch too.

The printable recipe follows and below a visual recipe, highlighting the making of one of our all-time family favorites....

Chocolate Cream Pie 

Traditional Crust:

• 1  ¼  cups all purpose     King Arthur Flour

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 Tablespoon sugar

• 1/4 cup vegetable shortening

• 4 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter

• 1/8  cup ice water

• ¼ chilled vodka

 

Combine dry ingredients, using a pastry blender cut shortening and butter into the flour.  Add liquid until just combined.  Let dough rest tightly covered in the refrigerator for 2 hours.  Roll out to ¼ inch thick, fill pie plate. Blind bake crust in a 375 degree oven, on lowest rack, until golden, about 20-25 minutes.  Remove any parchment and pie weights half-way though the bake.  Let cool completely before filling.

 

Filling:

• 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter-chilled

• 2 Baker’s Chocolate- semi sweet bars (4 ounces each)-chopped

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

***

• 2/3 cup granulated sugar

• 3 tablespoons cornstarch

• ½ teaspoon instant espresso powder

• 2 tablespoons Hershey’s    Special Dark Cocoa Powder

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• 1 cup heavy cream

• 2 cups 2% milk

• 3 large egg yolks

 

 

Directions:

 

In a large bowl, add the chopped chocolate, vanilla and butter.  Set aside.

 

In a medium saucepan off of the heat, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, espresso powder, salt and cocoa powders.  Stir in the cream and milk.  Add the egg yolks and stir well.

 

Place the saucepan over medium heat, stir constantly.  The mixture will begin to thicken as it is heated.  Bring to a boil, whisking constantly.  Boil for one minute.

 

Remove the pan from the heat and pour over the waiting bowl of chocolate, butter and vanilla.

 

Stir until all of the chocolate has melted and the mixture is glossy and smooth.

 

Pour chocolate filling into a prepared pie crust.  If necessary smooth the chocolate with an off-set spatula.

 

Let pie cool for 20 minutes, before chilling in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, overnight is best for a well set pie.

 

Topping:

• 1 ½ cup heavy cream

• ¼ cup confectioner’s sugar

• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

 

Place heavy whipping cream into a medium bowl with vanilla and sugar.  Mix on low for 3 minutes, increasing speed until thickened.  Fill a piping bag with a decorative tip and pipe whipped cream onto pie.

 

Here are the ingredients...

Chop the chocolate, add butter and vanilla to a large bowl, set aside.

 Off heat, mix cornstarch, salt sugar and cocoa & espresso powder.

 Add cream and milk

 Add egg yolks

Combine...look how smooth...

 Bring it to a boil, it will look like this...let it bubble for 1 minute and KEEP stirring.

Pour the hot chocolate over the chopped chocolate/butter/vanilla that is waiting in the wings 

Mix until shiny and gorgeous, (Whoever licks the bowl = LUCKY) pour into prepared pie crust

Smooth the top with an off-set spatula or the back of a spoon

  Let chill at least 3 hours, up to overnight ...I don't cover it...I have found that as long as my refrigerator is free from any strong smelling foods (like onions, fish) the pie sets up perfectly and there isn't any trouble with plastic wrap blemishing the top... in the past, when I tried to cover it...my pie ended up with some issues...

Chocolate Cream Pie...  you can pipe on whipped cream, spoon on whipped cream... old fashioned or "traditional" calls for a meringue topping...I love a whipped cream topping with chocolate curls... do what you like best.  Enjoy!