Covid Chocolate Pie — Ruth Mitchell

Last Thanksgiving I posted a recipe for my pie crust using a photo of a chocolate cream pie. Since then people have been asking for my chocolate pie recipe and I’ve have been disappointing them. Because even though I’ve made chocolate cream pies that photograph well, I had never found one to fulfill my chocolate cream pie dreams. I found them all a bit soggy and bland. I was beginning to think of chocolate cream pie as the New Year’s Eve of the pie world—a dessert that sounds awesome in fiction but is always a let down in real life.

And then last week my friend Jake asked for my chocolate cream pie recipe and suddenly I was on a mission to find the perfect chocolate cream pie. Here’s the deal: Jake has cystic fibrosis. He is the OG of social distancing. To keep him alive Jake and his wife Jenn have always been vigilant about hand washing, avoiding any one with the sniffles and giving elbow high fives in place of hand shakes. Long before anyone heard of Covid, they were pros at staying home from public gatherings. That’s why I was so honored that they braved my launch party in Salt Lake. (Though they did come early to skip the crowds.)

Jake and Jenn at my Salt Lake launch party.

But now, as all of us are staying home to stay safe and keep Covid-19 from spreading, Jake and Jenn must be even more cautious. There’s not much I can do to support them while they hide out at home. I don’t even dare send a package for fear of sending germ. But I can find them the perfect chocolate pie. Three pies later and I have two great recipes.

First, if you want a traditional chocolate cream pie with a rich pudding like the one in the movie Julie and Julia—which has inspired a thousand disappointment cream pies—I suggest this pie by King Arthur Flour. I used my pie crust recipe and skipped the espresso powder and it completely satisfied my chocolate cream dreams.

But, if you are a real chocolate lover. (Think everyone in my sister’s family.) I have another recipe for you. This pie is actually the serendipitous result of a mistake. (I might have left the milk out of the King Arthur pie.) In the end after lots of taste tests we decided one cup of milk is just right for this rich fudgy pie.

Chocolate Truffle Pie:

2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter
1 1/3 cups (227g) semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup (131g) granulated sugar
3 tablespoons (21g) cornstarch
2 tablespoons (11g) unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 large egg yolks
1 cup (227g) heavy cream, divided
1 cup (454g) milk

Topping

1 cup (227g) heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar or to taste
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
chocolate shavings about 1 tablespoon

To make pie crust mix the crust according to my ultimate pie crust recipe (This will make two single crusts; so you can either half the recipe of make two crusts and stick one in the freezer. I always do the latter. It makes me feel like all is right in the world when I have a pie crust ready to go in the freezer.)

For this recipe you will need to blind bake the crust, which means to bake the crust without a filling. For those not familiar with this process here are some quick instructions:

After chilling the crust in the pie dish for 20-30 min in your fridge or freezer, aerate the crust with a fork. You want the crust to have lots and lots of fork holes, especially on the sides. This keeps the shell from slumping down in the middle of your pie dish while baking.
Line the crust with parchment paper or foil.
Fill with dried beans, rice or pie weights.
Bake at 375 degrees for 15 min Remove the lining and weights and bake for another 10 min till the middle is also golden brown.

While the crust is baking make the pie filling.

Place the butter, chopped chocolate (or chocolate chips), and vanilla extract in a 2-quart mixing bowl; set aside.
In a medium saucepan NOT on the stove yet whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, cocoa, and salt. Add 1/2 cup (113g) 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 1/2 cup (113g) 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 175°F after a 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.
Pour into the baked shell. It’s okay if the crust is still warm. They can both cool together.
Once both the crust and filling have cooled to the touch cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to chill until firm three-four hours.
Serve topped with whipped cream, garnish with chocolate shavings.