Peach Pie with Lattice Crust

Peach pie with a lattice crust is my all-time favorite pie. So when asked to bring a dessert to a friend's dinner party, I knew right away what that dessert was going to be. I mean this is August, right? 

I found the most wonderful peaches at a chain supermarket of all places. The young man working in the produce department was arranging the "large yellow peaches" display when I walked in. I asked a question and he was off and running. Said these were really good peaches, he'd been buying them for his mother every week. 

Hmm. I had my doubts and was prepared to go to two more distant stores to get the best yellow peaches. But I smiled and picked one up, noting that it did not have green shoulders around the stem end (green shoulders are not a good sign), so I gave it a sniff and could actually smell it. There are one or two varieties that don't give off their aroma like that, but most varieties do when they are really good. So I took home four pounds of them and set them on the kitchen counter to further develop for three days till the day of the dinner party.

Generally speaking, if you pick up a peach that has green shoulders (which means it was picked too soon) and no fragrance, you might as well just buy a bag of fuzzy balls of styrofoam as those peaches. And I always look for the ones with a deep red flush. It doesn't make them taste better, but I don't peel the peaches and that crimson blush looks so pretty in the pie. 

You don't have to do the lattice for the top crust, but it's sort of traditional with peach pie. If you haven't done a lattice crust, try it; it's really easy and I've put the directions in the recipe below. I used to always use five strips of dough in both directions, but I decided to do this one with four wider ones. Kinda like it! What is your favorite summer pie? 

PS The pie was a huge hit at the dinner party. Turns out peach pie was the hosts' favorite pie!

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Peach Pie

(Makes one 9-inch pie, 8 servings)

Pastry for double-crust pie (Click and scroll for the pastry and another wonderful fruit pie!)

2 1/2 pounds (about 5 large/40 ounces/1.13 kg) perfectly ripe yellow peaches

1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice

1/2 cup (3.5 ounces/99 grams) sugar
1/4 dip-and-sweep cup (1 ounce/29 grams) tapioca flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (No, that's not a typo!)
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger (I want you to taste the peaches!)

1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter

1 Preheat oven to 425F/220C/Gas7. On lightly floured square of parchment paper, roll out one disk of dough to a 13x11-inch rectangle about 1/8 inch thick. (Save the plastic it was wrapped in; you'll be using it again.) At this point, it's best to chill the dough for a few minutes in the freezer or several minutes in the refrigerator. Then, with a straight edge* and a knife or pizza wheel, and the long side of the dough facing you, cut the dough into 8 even strips about 1 1/2 inches wide. Transfer, on the parchment, to a rimless baking sheet, cover with the reserved plastic wrap or parchment, and refrigerate while proceeding.  

* There are so many uses for a sturdy straight edge in the kitchen. Years ago, pre-Amazon, a friend and I were taking cake decorating classes and needed an 18-inch ruler for leveling the icing. Went to the hardware store and all they had was yardsticks, so I bought one and had Mr Delightful cut it in half (and smooth out the cut edges) for us. I use it all the time! Fortunately, Amazon has this 18-inch aluminum ruler.

2 On a lightly floured surface, roll out second disk of dough to a 13-inch circle. Line the 9-inch glass pie plate with pastry, fitting it down into the plate without stretching it, and trimming the overhang to about 3/4 inch. Cover and refrigerate while preparing filling.

3 Peel peaches (or not)* and cut into 1-inch chunks into a large bowl (I use a 2-quart glass measure). You'll have about 6 cups of peaches. (I cut them like this: Quarter peach, cut each quarter into 2 to 4 wedges, depending on the size of the peaches, and cut wedges in half.) In a small bowl, whisk together sugar, tapioca flour (vastly superior to cornstarch or any other thickener for fruit pies), salt and spices; add to peaches and mix gently but well. Pour into pie shell. Cut the tablespoon of butter into little dice and spread them over the surface of the peaches.

* I implore you, please try NOT peeling. You'll never go back! Just do a thorough job of washing the peaches and getting all the excess fuzz off as you dry them.

4 Lay 2 strips of dough across the pie in one direction, centered, about 1/2 inch apart. Then lay the 2 outer strips about 1/2 inch from the center strips. Fold back every other strip halfway and, again, place a long strip of dough 1/4 inch from the center going the other way. Unfold the folded strips over the crossing strip. Place the second center strip in the same way. Repeat with the 2 outer strips. Press the overhanging strips against the bottom crust, then trim them even with the bottom crust and crimp the edge.

Note: If your kitchen is warm and your dough is getting warm, you'll get a better crimp if you pop the whole thing in the freezer for a few minutes or in the refrigerator for several minutes.

5 Place the pie on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet to catch any drips (There will be drips!), and place it in the preheated oven. Bake at 425F/220C/Gas 7 for 25 minutes. Lower temperature to 350F/180C/Gas 4, and bake for an additional 40 to 45 minutes (juices should be bubbling). Cool on wire rack for a minimum of 4 hours before serving. Use a pie crust shield to prevent overbrowning the edge. I put it on when it's time to lower the temperature.

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 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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Perfect Pumpkin Pie - ThermoWorks Giveaway

With the autumn baking season upon us, it's time for the annual quest for the perfect pumpkin pie and to take stock of our kitchen tools to make sure we have what we need in the months ahead. 

The Pie

I've posted Pumpkin Pie before, including ones made with canned evaporated milk, but I can't buy organic evaporated milk just anywhere, so I developed a recipe I can make with readily available organic milk and cream. 

When I make pumpkin pie for just us, I use just 1/4 cup of sugar. I know, I know, it sounds extreme; but we love it. However, knowing other people might not, I would use 2/3 cup when making the pie for guests. But lately I've tried out a 1/2-cup version on some of them and they've loved it, so this recipe says "1/2 cup (3.5 ounces/99 grams) sugar." I hope you'll try it!

I've posted lots of different pie crusts, including gluten-free pie crust, made with different techniques. This is my favorite recipe using a food processor. If you don't have a food processor, you can easily adapt it to making it by hand. Food-processor all-butter pastry has a tendency to be difficult to cut with a fork, but I've included some significant changes/additions I've made to make the crust fork-tender. It's foolproof; you can't mess this up!

You just need one crust for a pumpkin pie, of course; but never waste time making just one crust. Always make the double-crust recipe and store one in the refrigerator for a few days or in the freezer for a couple months. It's very satisfying seeing a little stack of dough disks in the freezer ready for future pies! 

I've also posted various methods over the years to help you avoid the dreaded "soggy bottom," including fully prebaking the pie shell or using a pie tin on a pizza stone; but I wanted to find a way to have a lovely crisp, golden, un-soggy bottom using my all-time favorite pie plate, the classic 9-inch Pyrex glass pie plate. If you've had any of these challenges, I hope you'll find something here that works for you.

The Giveaway

And, just in time for your fall baking, a giveaway from ThermoWorks of some of my favorite, tried-and-true, in-constant-use items! The Hi-Temp Silicone Kitchen Kit (in your choice of 10 colors): One Medium Silicone Spatula (12.5"), One Mini Silicone Spatula & Spoonula set, Two 7" Round Silicone Trivets, One Large 9" x 12" Trivet, and One Small Silicone Brush. And drumroll please, my favorite kitchen timer: the TimeStack quadruple timer (in your choice of 10 colors) that shows you all four displays and alarms at once. You can even record your own voice for each alarm.

The hotpad/trivets are amazing! I've tried all kinds, and these are the best. Super sturdy, yet flexible, and very grippy, they are my favorite hotpads. As trivets when cooking, baking, or serving a meal buffet- or family-style, they protect your tabletop or countertop from hot dishes and pans, round or rectangular. And hot pans and casseroles won't slide off these trivets.

And the TimeStack—Why do I need a four-channel timer in my home kitchen? Because we use a timer for everything: brewing tea several times a day, checking the rising bread dough, baking, getting the laundry out of the dryer, watering the fruit trees for a certain length of time. We even use a timer as an alarm clock on those rare occasions when we need one. You'll wonder how you ever lived without it! 

These items make wonderful gifts as well. You'll find the giveaway rules below the recipe. And do leave a comment, even if you're not entering the giveaway. I love your comments! Happy Autumn! 

Pumpkin Pie

(Makes one 9-inch pie, 8 servings)

The Pastry - Food Processor Method

(for two single-crust pies or one double-crust pie)

 

2 1/4 dip-and-sweep cups (11.25 ounces/319 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour

1/4 dip-and-sweep cup (1.06 ounce/30 grams) tapioca flour

1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (8 ounces/227 grams) unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch slices

1 large egg, lightly beaten

4 tablespoons (2 fluid ounces/59 ml) ice water

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

The Filling

 

1/2 cup (3.5 ounces/99 grams) sugar

2 tablespoons non-GMO cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon allspice

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

3 large eggs

1 15-ounce (425 grams) can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling) or 1 3/4 cups pumpkin puree
3/4 cup (6 fluid ounces/177 ml) milk
1/2 cup (4 fluid ounces/118 ml) heavy cream

1 Weigh/measure flour, sugar, and salt in 2- to 2.5-quart mixing bowl. Whisk vigorously for about 30 seconds to "sift." With food processor's metal blade in place, scoop out half (1 1/4 cups) the flour mixture into the work bowl of the food processor. Spread the butter slices evenly over the fairly even flour mixture. Pulse until no dry flour remains and mixture is starting to form clumps of dough, about 25 to 30 one-second pulses. Don't get hung up on counting the number of pulses, just watch for the clumping to begin. With a silicone spatula, spread dough evenly around the work bowl. Sprinkle with the remaining flour and pulse until the dough is just barely broken up, about 5 1-second pulses.

2 Transfer the dough back to the 2- to 2.5-quart mixing bowl. If the kitchen very warm, cover and refrigerate the dough for 10 minutes or so before proceeding. Sprinkle the dough with the egg-water-vinegar mixture and use the spatula to fold and press the dough until it comes together into a ball.

3 Turn the dough out, dividing onto two pieces of plastic wrap and flatten each slightly into a 4- to 5-inch round disk. Wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days. You can even freeze the dough, wrapped well, for up to a month. To defrost the dough, move it from freezer to refrigerator for one day before using it. Let thoroughly chilled dough stand at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes for easier rolling.

4 In medium bowl (using a 2-quart glass measure makes it easy to pour the filling into the crust), whisk together sugar, cornstarch, salt and spices. Whisk in the eggs, then the pumpkin and then the milk and cream. Refrigerate filling until ready to fill the pie shell, up to a full day.  

5 For single-crust pie: On lightly floured surface with lightly floured rolling pin, roll out the dough to 13 inches in diameter and 1/8 inch or so thick. Transfer the dough to the pie plate, pressing the dough (but not stretching it) to fit the pie plate, getting down into the corners, with a half- to one-inch overhang (trim with knife or scissors). Cover with the reserved piece of plastic wrap and chill for 10 minutes before fluting the edge. Cover and return to refrigerator while the oven heats up.

6 Put the oven rack in the lowest position. Preheat the oven to 450F/230C/Gas8. Pour the filling into the chilled unbaked shell and place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet to catch any butter drips. As soon as you put the pie in the oven, reduce temperature to 425F/220C/Gas7. Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350F/180C/Gas4. Bake for about 40 to 45 minutes (after about 15 minutes, I put on a pie crust shield to ensure that the crimped edge doesn't burn), or until knife inserted midway between edge and center comes out clean or until it registers 185F/85C on an instant-read thermometer.

Note: After you've made pumpkin pie a few times, you can tell just by looking whether or not it's done. It will look darker and shinier and will have puffed up a bit and then fallen, and it should be fairly firm but still have a little jiggle left in the center (unless, of course, you're making it for Mr Delightful who wants his pie very firm, no jiggle!).

7 Cool on wire rack for 2 hours, then lay a square of wax paper over the top and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Serve with softly whipped cream. I sweetened and flavored 1 cup of heavy whipping cream with 4 teaspoons of real maple syrup and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. And I sometimes garnish with a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar.

Note: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 or 4 days. As if!

My pumpkin pies often crack because I overbake them to
suit Mr Delightful's preference for a very firm custard.

ThermoWorks TimeStack and Kitchen Kit Giveaway

This giveaway is open to readers in the US* who are 18 years of age or older. To enter, leave a comment below (one entry per person). Be sure to tell me what color you prefer. Please include your email address in the body of your comment. If your name is drawn and I have no way to contact you, you will be disqualified. Must enter by 11:59 p.m. Eastern time Tuesday October 31.

* If you are outside the US but would like to have this sent to someone you know in the US, go ahead and enter!

The winner will be chosen by random drawing and be announced here in the comments before noon Eastern time on Thursday November 9. If I don't hear back from the winner of the random drawing by noon Eastern time Friday November 3, a new winner will be selected from the original entrants (those who commented before the giveaway deadline).

Disclosure: ThermoWorks provided the timer and kitchen kit for review purposes and for the giveaway. The views expressed here are entirely my own. I always tell my readers what I really think!

Jean

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Blueberry Pie - Foolproof All-Butter Pastry (Final Version)

Blueberry Pie hit the menu this week when I found 18-ounce containers of organic blueberries for $2.50! If I had more available freezer space I would have bought a dozen, but I settled for four, enough for two pies and a double batch of Homemade Blueberry Syrup/Sauce.

The two goals for blueberry pie are: 1. a tender, flaky all-butter crust, baked to golden brown perfection with no soggy bottom; and 2. a filling that sets perfectly, neither soupy nor gloopy. I still remember the first blueberry pie I ever ate. The filling was so gloopy it put me off blueberry pie for years.

Eventually I decided to bake one myself and, of course, erred on the side of soupy in order to avoid gloopy. Eventually I worked it out and achieved the balance I was looking for.

In April I posted Ham and Mushroom Quiche - Foolproof All-Butter Pastry Tutorial. That pastry is wonderful, but I just couldn't resist making further refinements to it, so below you will find the final (I promise!) version. I hope you'll make this pie before summer is over.

First make my Foolproof All-Butter Pastry - Final Version (below), roll out the two crusts, and pop them in the fridge. Then make the Fresh Blueberry Pie Filling and put it all together. Long baking and long cooling are crucial. If you don't get those juices bubbling in the oven, you're sunk. And don't even think about cutting it until it has cooled for at least 4 hours.

Are you a blueberry pie fan? I shared the pie with neighbors who had theirs with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. We had ours without. Which do you prefer?

 

Foolproof All-Butter Pastry

(makes one double-crust pie or two pie shells)

2 1/4 dip-and-sweep cups (11.25 ounces/319 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour 

1/4 dip-and-sweep cup (1.06 ounce/30 grams) tapioca flour

1 tablespoon sugar
1 to 1 1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (8 ounces/227 grams) unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch slices

1 large egg, lightly beaten

4 tablespoons (2 fluid ounces/59 ml) ice water

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Blueberry Pie Filling

6 cups (30 ounces/850 grams) fresh blueberries, stemmed and washed

2/3 cup (4.67 ounces/132 grams) sugar

1/4 dip-and-sweep cup (1.06 ounce/30 grams) tapioca flour

1/8 dip-and-sweep cup (0.625 ounce/18 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon allspice

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest

1 to 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 Weigh/measure flour, sugar, and salt into a 2- to 2.5-quart mixing bowl. Whisk vigorously for about 30 seconds to "sift." With food processor's metal blade in place, scoop out half (1 1/4 cups) the flour mixture into the work bowl of the food processor. Spread the butter slices evenly over the fairly even flour mixture. Pulse until no dry flour remains and mixture is starting to form clumps of dough, about 25 to 30 one-second pulses. Don't get hung up on counting the number of pulses, just watch for the clumping to begin. With a silicone spatula, spread dough evenly around the work bowl. Sprinkle with the remaining flour and pulse until the dough is just barely broken up, about 5 1-second pulses.

2 Transfer the dough back to the 2- to 2.5-quart mixing bowl. If the kitchen is very warm, cover and refrigerate the dough for 10 minutes or so before proceeding. Sprinkle the dough with the egg-water-vinegar mixture and use the spatula to fold and press the dough until it comes together into a ball.

3 Turn the dough out, dividing onto two pieces of plastic wrap and flatten each slightly into a 4- to 5-inch round disk. Wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 to 2 hours or up to 3 days. You can even freeze the dough, wrapped well, for up to a month. To defrost the dough, move it from freezer to refrigerator for one day before using it. Let thoroughly chilled dough stand at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes for easier rolling.

4 For double-crust pie: On lightly floured surface with lightly floured rolling pin, roll out the bottom crust dough to 13 inches in diameter and 1/8 inch or so thick. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch glass pie plate, pressing the dough (but not stretching it) to fit the pie plate with a half- to one-inch overhang (trim with knife or scissors). Cover with the reserved piece of plastic wrap and refrigerate. Roll out top crust dough to 11 inches in diameter and 1/8 inch or so thick and place it on a rimless baking sheet; cover with reserved plastic wrap and refrigerate. Make pie filling. Then assemble pie and bake as directed. 

For single-crust pie: On lightly floured surface with lightly floured rolling pin, roll out the dough to 13 inches in diameter and 1/8 inch or so thick. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch glass pie plate, pressing the dough (but not stretching it) to fit the pie plate, getting down into the corners, with a half- to one-inch overhang (trim with knife or scissors, and save in case you need to patch a little hole after the blind baking). Cover with the reserved piece of plastic wrap and chill for 10 minutes before fluting the edge. Cover and return to refrigerator while the oven heats up. Preheat oven to 375F/190C/Gas5. Line chilled pie shell with a square of foil and fill with pie weights (baking beans, in UK). I use two boxes of ceramic pie weights that store neatly in a 200-gram Twinings tea tin. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove pie weights. Prick the pastry bottom all over with a fork. Bake for another 15 minutes until golden brown. 

5 Pick over the blueberries, discarding any bad ones and removing any stems. Wash and drain well. Weigh or measure them into a 2-quart glass measure. In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, tapioca flour, unbleached flour, salt, and spices. Gently stir the sugar mixture into the blueberries, along with the lemon zest and juice.  

6 Pour the filling into the pastry-lined pie plate, dot with little pieces of butter, and put top crust in place; trim with knife or scissors to make a half- to one-inch overhang. Seal and crimp the edge. Prick top with a fork, marking eight wedges, to vent; or cut vents with a knife. Place on lined baking sheet to catch any drips from the pie. Pop the pie in the freezer for 15 minutes while preheating the oven.

7 Move your oven racks so that you can place your pie on the lowest or second lowest. Preheat oven to 425F/220C/Gas7.

Note: I didn't do it this time, but sometimes I brush the top with a little cream or beaten egg yolk and maybe sprinkle on a little sugar or cinnamon-sugar for sparkle. 

8 Bake for 25 minutes, then put on a pie crust shield. Lower temperature to 350F/180C/Gas4 and bake for an additional 50 to 60 minutes, when the filling should be bubbling and thickened and the crust golden brown. Cool on wire rack for at least 4 hours before serving; the pie needs that time to solidify so that all the juices don't run out when the pie is cut.

Note: To warm individual slices of pie, preheat oven to 350F/180C/Gas4. Place on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment and bake for about 10 minutes.

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 at no cost to you by linking to Amazon .com and affiliated sites. This helps cover some of the costs of running the blog. Thank you for your support. 

Jean

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Chocolate Tart - Tarte au Chocolat

Mr Delightful doesn't usually comment on food when we're watching a movie or video, but he did so when a travel vlogger was eating and describing a chocolate dessert on a train journey. So I knew it had been too long since I'd made a Chocolate Tart.

I've made it with chocolate pastry before, but to me that is overkill. A filling with this much chocolate does not need a chocolate crust. To fancy it up for a dinner party, I might garnish with a bit of whipped cream and a few raspberries; but they are not needed and I've photographed for you the plain-jane slice that can stand alone.

Not just intensely chocolatey, this tart is ethereally light. Take a bite, put it in your mouth and the chocolate filling seems to disappear in your mouth. I hope you'll try it soon and let me know if you agree!

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Chocolate Tart - Tarte au Chocolat

(Makes one 9-inch/23cm tart, 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

The Filling

1 3/4 sticks (7 ounces/198 grams) unsalted butter, cut into 7 chunks
10.5 ounces (298 grams) bittersweet (68 to 78%) chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, room temperature
2 large egg yolks, room temperature
1/3 cup (2.33 ounces/66 grams) sugar


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. Add egg; 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 and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes.

2 Lightly butter a 9-inch/23cm tart tin and set it on a baking sheet. On lightly floured 12-inch square of aluminum foil, roll out the pastry to a 12-inch circle. Transfer dough to tart tin, pressing dough (but not stretching it) to fit the tin. Save the foil; you're not done with it. With scissors or knife, trim the overhang to 1/2 inch all around. Fold it in and press it to the sides to form a thicker side crust. Trim the edges by rolling the rolling pin over the top. Press the pastry into the flutes so that it rises a bit above the edge (in case of shrinkage). Pop it in the freezer for 15 minutes while you preheat the oven to 375F/190C/Gas5.

3 Cover chilled pastry with reserved piece of foil, clean side up, pressing it to fit well. Spread 2 cups of ceramic pie weights (that's two packages of Mrs. Anderson's ceramic pie weights) over the foil. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove foil and weights; continue baking for 10 minutes, until lightly browned to a pale golden.

4 While the pastry is baking, start the filling. In a heavy-bottomed 3-quart saucepan over medium-low heat, heat the butter until melted and small bubbles begin to form around the edge. Remove from heat; add the chopped chocolate and stir until thoroughly smooth. Stir in salt. The melted mixture needs to be tepid when you fold in the egg mixture. If at some point it begins to solidify a bit, you might need to apply a bit of low heat just to thin the mixture, not warm it.

5 Remove tart shell from the oven and turn the temperature down to 325F/165C/Gas3. While the pastry is cooling, continue with the filling. In a 2-quart bowl, beat the eggs, egg yolks, and sugar with an electric mixer on high speed for about 10 minutes, until the mixture is light and airy and doubled or tripled in volume. You may also use a heavy-duty stand mixer with the whisk attachment, and it may take less time.

6 Fold about a third of the egg mixture into the chocolate mixture, gently but rather thoroughly. Then very gently fold in the remaining egg mixture, just until no visible streaks of egg remain. Try not to deflate the eggs.

7 Pour filling into prebaked pastry shell. Bake (with tart tin on baking sheet) for about 25 minutes, until just set but still with a bit of a wobble. Do not overbake. Cool on wire rack at room temperature for at least 2 hours. If you make it a day or two ahead, refrigerate it until 2 hours before serving time; allow it to come to room temperature. Cut into 8 to 12 wedges and serve with a dollop of unsweetened or barely sweetened whipped cream.

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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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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