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Chocolate Cream Pie

Source of Recipe

From "The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion"


Recipe Introduction

"A true diner classic, this decadent dessert is beloved by fans of both chocolate and pie. The crust is blind baked, then filled with a cooked, cooled chocolate filling. Topped with lightly sweetened whipped cream, it's the perfect combination of crispy crust, dense chocolate filling, and airy cream topping. This is a tall pie with a generous amount of filling, which you can customize to your taste by using bittersweet, semisweet, milk chocolate, or any combination of these that you like. Note here that your pie pan should be at least 2 inches deep in order to hold all the filling. If, after forming the crust and pouring in the filling, you find yourself with leftover filling, simply pour it into a custard dish and refrigerate it until firm. It makes a delicious pudding."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ One 9-inch single pie crust, blind baked
â—¦ 2 tablespoons butter
â—¦ 1 â…“ cups chopped semisweet chocolate
â—¦ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
â—¦ â…” cup granulated sugar
â—¦ 3 tablespoons cornstarch
â—¦ 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
â—¦ 1 teaspoon espresso powder (optional)
â—¦ â…› teaspoon salt
â—¦ 1 cup heavy cream
â—¦ 3 large egg yolks
â—¦ 2 cups milk

Topping:
â—¦ 1 cup heavy cream
â—¦ ¼ cup confectioners' sugar
â—¦ ½ teaspoon vanilla extract


Recipe

To make the filling: Place the butter, chopped chocolate, and vanilla extract in a 2-quart mixing bowl; set aside.

In a medium saucepan off the heat, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, cocoa, espresso powder, and salt. Add ½ cup of the heavy cream, whisking until the mixture is smooth and lump-free. Whisk in the egg yolks.

Place the saucepan over medium heat, and gradually whisk in the remaining ½ cup cream and milk. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly as the mixture thickens; boil for 1 minute. The temperature of the mixture will be around 200° F after 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the mixture over the reserved chocolate and butter. Whisk until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.

Pass the filling through a strainer into a bowl to remove any lumps. You can use the back of a ladle, a flexible spatula, or a wooden spoon to stir it through the strainer. Scrape the underside of the strainer once in a while with a clean spatula to help the process along. Place plastic wrap or buttered parchment paper on the surface to prevent a skin from forming, and chill thoroughly. A shallow metal bowl with more surface area will chill the filling most quickly.

To make the topping: Place the heavy cream in a chilled mixing bowl. Whip until the whisk or beaters begin to leave tracks in the bowl. Add the sugar and vanilla and whip until the cream holds a medium peak.

To assemble: Spoon the cooled filling into the cooled filling into the cooled, baked pie crust. Level the top with the back of a spoon or an offset spatula. Spoon or pipe the whipped cream on top. If you're not planning on serving the entire pie at once, top individual slices with a dollop of whipped cream just before serving.

Chill the pie until ready to serve. For best slicing, refrigerate the pie overnight before serving.


Makes one 9-inch pie