CHOCOLATE CREAM PIE
makes 1 9-inch pie
For the Crust:
1 1/2 cups (about 10) chocolate Tennis Biscuits
115g butter, plus more for greasing the plate
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon Dark cocoa (optional)
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees 180. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie plate.
2. Crush the biscuits into crumbs (I used a food processor to do this).
3. In a saucepan, melt the butter. Dissolve the brown sugar into the melted butter.
4. In a large bowl, combine the brown sugar/butter mixture with the cocoa and biscuits. Once the crumbs are moistened, press them evenly into the greased pie plate. The crumbs should come up the sides of the plate.
5. Put the crust in the refrigerator to chill for about 15 minutes, then bake for 10-15 minutes until the crust has set. Let the crust cool while you make the filling.
For the Filling:
1 1⁄2 cups fresh cream
2 cups full cream milk
2⁄3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1⁄4 cup cornstarch
9 egg yolks
115g butter, cut into pieces
250g bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
60g unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
2 1⁄2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1. In a saucepan, heat the milk and cream until it starts to simmer. Remove the pan from the heat.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and egg yolks. In a slow stream, begin to drizzle in the hot milk mixture to the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Be careful not to add too much of the milk mixture at once, or you will end up with scrambled eggs.
3. Once all of the milk has been added, pour the entire mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly. After about 3-4 minutes, the mixture will begin to bubble and thicken. You’ll know it’s ready when you can coat the back of a spoon.
4. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the pieced of butter and chopped chocolate a little bit at a time. Mix together until thoroughly incorporated.
5.Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into another bowl. While the mixture is still hot, cover it with plastic wrap. This will ensure that no skin will form while it’s cooling. Let it set in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
For the Topping:
2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 chocolate bar for chocolate shavings
1. Whip the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla together until stiff peaks form.
2. To make the chocolate shavings, use a run a vegetable peeler along the side of a chocolate bar. If the chocolate is crumbly and not coming off in peels, put it in the microwave for 5-10 seconds until it is soft enough to peel.
To Assemble the pie:
1. After the filling has cooled, pour into the pie crust and spread evenly. Spread the whipped cream on top of the chocolate layer, forming a dome in the middle. Top with chocolate shavings.
Note: I had better luck slicing this pie after it had chilled in the refrigerator overnight. I would suggest that you make the crust and filling the day before you serve it so it has time to set up and doesn’t turn into a big gloopy mess when you cut it.
SOURCE: Adapted from Saveur
