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Classic Diner-Style Chocolate Pie

Source of Recipe

From "Baked" by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito


Recipe Introduction

"We are rescuing the chocolate pie from obscurity, and maybe even extinction. What was once a whimsical chocolate-lover’s dream has suffered from poor ingredients (enough already with all these boxed pudding mixes) and even poorer interpretations. Our version of the chocolate pie is an homage to the much-loved dessert of our youth, the one that was drenched in canned whipped cream and a flurry of chocolate curls. We updated the pie with a renewed focus on the chocolate (it’s deeper and richer), poured it into a cookie crust, and topped it off with a shot of whiskey."

List of Ingredients

For the chocolate cookie crust:
â—¦ 30 chocolate wafer cookies (about 6 ounces)
â—¦ 1 tablespoon sugar
â—¦ 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the chocolate filling:
â—¦ ½ cup sugar
â—¦ 3 tablespoons chocolate malt Ovaltine
â—¦ 1 teaspoon salt
â—¦ ¼ cup cornstarch
â—¦ 5 large egg yolks
â—¦ 2 cups whole milk
â—¦ ½ cup heavy cream
â—¦ 5 ounces dark chocolate (60 to 72% cacao), coarsely chopped
â—¦ 2 ounces milk chocolate, coarsely chopped
â—¦ 2 teaspoons whiskey
â—¦ 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract


Recipe

Make the chocolate cookie crust:
In a food processor, grind the cookies to a very fine powder. You should have about 1½ cups. Put the crumbs in a bowl and stir in the sugar.

Pour the butter over the crumb mixture and mix until well combined. The mixture will feel wet. Turn the crumb mixture out into a 9-Inch pie plate and press it into the bottom and up the sides. You can use the back of a large spoon to even out the crust. Freeze the crust while you make the filling.

Make the chocolate filling:
In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, Ovaltine, salt, and cornstarch. Add the egg yolks and whisk until combined. The mixture will look like a thick paste. Slowly pour in the milk and cream, whisking constantly.

Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly to prevent the mixture from burning on the bottom of the pan. Boil for 30 seconds, then remove from the heat.

Add the chocolates, whiskey, and vanilla and whisk until combined. Continue to whisk for a few minutes to cool the mixture slightly. Let the mixture stand for 15 minutes at room temperature. A thin skin may form during this cooling period. Simply whisk the mixture again until the skin is gone. Pour the filling into the frozen pie shell. Refrigerate the pie for 4 hours before serving, topped with whipped cream, if desired.

Makes one 9-inch pie