Chocolate Cream Pie

Chocolate Cream Pie turned up on my to-do list when a friend told me she had been craving it, didn't have a good recipe, and couldn't find a single restaurant in town that made a good one.

You'll see recipes that call for huge amounts of expensive dark chocolate. I've had those pies, and they're good. But I make mine with cocoa and it gets raves.

I developed my recipe many years ago when I was a chocolate fan but haven't made it in several years. I made it for my friend this week and she loved it, so I'm posting it on the blog.

Speaking of the blog, this week is my 12th blogiversary. For 10 years I posted every week, and for 2 years every other week. I had no idea when I started Delightful Repast that I would still be doing it 12 years later!

Do leave a comment about pie or anything at all. I hope, wherever you are, you're enjoying life each day despite the difficulties. 

 

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Chocolate Cream Pie 

(Makes one 9-inch/23cm pie, 8 servings) 

The Pastry - Pâte Sucrée (a sweet shortcrust pastry) 

1 1/4 dip-and-sweep cups (6.25 ounces/177 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 packed cup (1 ounce/28 grams) unsifted powdered sugar 
1/4 teaspoon salt 
8 tablespoons (4 ounces/113 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional

The Custard

3 cups (24 fluid ounces/710 ml) whole or 2% milk

1 cup (7 ounces/198 grams) sugar 

1/2 packed cup (1.5 ounces/42 grams) natural unsweetened cocoa
1/3 dip-and-sweep cup plus 1 tablespoon (2 ounces/57 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs

2 tablespoons (1 fluid ounce/30 ml) Kahlua or triple-strength coffee*

3 tablespoons (1.5 ounces/43 grams) unsalted butter, cold

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

* For triple-strength coffee, I put a tablespoon of ground coffee in a one-cup paper filter and pour over 1/4 cup boiled water. (I don't really know if that's precisely "triple-strength," but that's what I decided to call it!

The Whipped Cream

1 1/2 cups (12 fluid ounces/355 ml) heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 Add flour, powdered sugar, and salt to work bowl of food processor; turn on for about 3 or 4 seconds to combine. Add chunks of butter; pulse to a crumb texture, leaving some visible chunks of butter. Add egg and vanilla extract; pulse until the dough starts clumping together. This is to be a crisp, more cookie-like crust, rather than a flaky pastry, so there's not quite the concern about over-processing. Flatten slightly into a 5-inch round disk, wrap in square of plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes.

2 Very lightly butter a 9-inch glass pie plate; I usually just run the butter wrapper over it. On a lightly floured piece of parchment, roll out disk to a 13-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick. Place pastry in pie plate, being careful to not stretch the dough. Leave a 1-inch overhang of dough. Crimp and flute the edge. (Sometimes you need to chill the pastry a bit before crimping.) Cover loosely with the piece of plastic wrap and place in freezer for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 375F/190C/Gas5.

3 Fit a square of baking parchment paper that has been crumpled into a ball then opened, or aluminum foil, in the shell and fill with ceramic pie weights (baking beans). Set on a rimmed baking sheet (to catch any butter drips). Bake the thoroughly chilled crust for 15 minutes, then remove the foil and pie weights, pop on the pie crust shield and bake for another 15 minutes.

Note: I use two boxes of the ceramic pie weights, and they just fit nicely into a 200-gram tea tin. If you're not a loose leaf tea drinker, though, a quart canning jar works.

4 Remove fully pre-baked pie shell from the oven; let cool completely before filling, at least 30 minutes or hours ahead, whatever suits your schedule.

Note: I have the Le Creuset stainless steel 3.5-quart saucier, but they seem to be out of stock. Here is an alternative, and it is less expensive: Demeyere 5-ply stainless steel 3.5-quart saucier. A saucier is far better than a straight-sided saucepan for making custards and sauces. No "corners" that your whisk can't reach! 

5 Make filling while pie shell is cooling. In 2-quart saucepan, heat the milk just to a simmer. (If you don't heat the milk, the custard will take three times longer.) In heavy-bottomed 3.5-quart saucier or 3-quart saucepan, whisk together sugar, cocoa, flour, and salt. Whisk in eggs and Kahlua or coffee until thoroughly combined. Gradually add hot milk, whisking constantly. Cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until you see bubbles forming at the edge and the mixture thickening, about 5 minutes or so. Custard should be very thick, with the whisk leaving trails.

Note: Food safety guidelines are that any mixture with eggs should be cooked until it registers 160F/72C on instant-read thermometer.

6 Remove from heat. Whisk in cold butter and vanilla extract until butter is completely melted. Let cool at room temperature for 15 minutes, whisking occasionally, before whisking well and pouring into pie shell. Pour into cooled crust and smooth top. Press a piece of plastic wrap or a circle of parchment onto the surface of the custard and let cool at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes, until cool; place in refrigerator for at least 6 hours or up to 24 hours before piping on the whipped cream, garnishing, and serving.

7 With a mixer, beat cold cream, sugar, and vanilla extract on medium speed. Pay attention when you start to see the cream thickening. Continue to beat at medium speed, watching for the soft peaks stage, then the firm peaks stage. If you're just spreading the whipped cream on the pie, stop there. If you want to pipe the whipped cream, beat to the stiff peaks stage. Pay close attention at every stage; it can turn to butter before you know it!

8 With a pastry bag fitted with a 2D tip or 1M tip, pipe rosettes of whipped cream onto pie.

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon .com and affiliated sites. We are a ThermoWorks affiliate, earning a small commission at no cost to you on purchases made through our links. This helps cover some of the costs of running the blog. Thank you for your support. 

Jean

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