chocolate cream pie
One of my big personal goals for the year is to get back to the basics. Essentially, I'm trying to teach myself how to master simple kitchen skills that make big difference. For instance, I've improved my knife skills, learned how to make pesto, mastered the art of a simple pot of beans, and finally figured out how to make an amazing chicken stock.
All of these things seem simple, right? While the ingredients are minimal, there are certain techniques that make a difference between bland and amazing. One of my new accomplishments is homemade pie crust. This recipe is the first time I've ever actually made it, but it was light, flaky, and just as tasty as a store bought crust (minus the preservatives). While I won't share the recipe today (ummm, Thanksgiving is coming up, so stay tuned), I will say it's worth the effort to learn how to make it.
chocolate cream pie
prep time: 30 minutes | cook time: 40 minutes
experience level: medium-ish | specialty: desserts
- 1 blind baked* pie crust (see notes below)
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp + 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 2 cups whole or 2% milk
- 4 egg yolks
- 4 ounces unsweetened or dark chocolate (70% or above)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- whipped cream (either made from 1 pint whipping cream or frozen whipped topping, depending on how rich of flavor you want it)
- 1 dark chocolate bar, finely chopped (for topping)
Blind bake pie crust and set aside to cool.
While crust is cooling, stir together flour, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a deep saucepan. In a bowl, whisk egg yolks until well combined. Thoroughly whisk in the milk a bit at a time, making sure it's mixing with the egg yolks completely. Stir milk-egg mixture into the sugar mixture in the saucepan.
Over medium heat, cook the mixture while stirring often. This process takes 10-15 minutes and you have to stir it constantly. When the mixture starts to bubble (be careful, this stuff is molten), slightly reduce the heat. Continue to stir until the mixture becomes the consistency of pudding (see photo below).
Remove custard from the heat and immediately stir in chopped chocolate, vanilla, and butter. Stir together until the chocolate is completely melted and there are no lumps. Pour the chocolate custard into the prepared pie crust. Place a sheet of plastic wrap on top of the pie and place in the oven to cool for 3-4 hours.
When you're ready to serve the pie, top with whipped cream (I prefer the frozen topping, as I have a little bit of a lactose issue) and finely chopped chocolate bar.
Caution: try not to eat it all in one sitting.
How To Blind Bake A Pie Shell: Place a sheet of parchment paper on top of a prepared pie crust. Add dried beans or pie weights on top of the parchment paper. Bake the prepared pie crust at 425 degrees Fahrenheit / 218 degrees Celsius for 8-10 minutes, until the edges become slightly golden. Remove from oven. Remove the parchment/weights and set aside to cool. Bake the crust again for 5 minutes, until the edges are browned. Set pie crust aside to cool.
