The first year I hosted Thanksgiving at our house (2016) Greg and I decided to do salmon as the main course instead of the turkey. We thought about how nobody really talks too much about the turkey, but everyone always raves about the sides. We ended up doing pan seared chicken, salmon, candied sweet potatoes, spinach salad, and brussel sprouts. My mother brought green beans, stuffing, rolls, and cranberry sauce. I felt like our meal did not weigh us down or make us tired, so we were able to go heavy on the dessert. Instead of making an apple pie or pumpkin pie, I went with this decadent chocolate silk pie. It was declared by my mother as the best pie she has ever had (in her 70 years of life), and my in-laws absolutely loved it. Wendy was in heaven when she got her small slice of pie. After each bite, she said, “It’s really good, mommy!” It is that good. If you want a true chocolate treat, try this pie. This may not happen to everyone, but I seriously can feel the endorphins being released from my brain with every bite that I take of this pie. This chocolate silk pie tastes really good, and it might even make you feel really good, too! Enjoy.
Recipe for Chocolate Silk Pie
INGREDIENTS
Pie crust1 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. of granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. of kosher salt
1 stick of very cold butter, chopped into small chunks
3 – 4 Tbsp. of ice-cold waterFor the chocolate filling
1 cup of heavy whipping cream, chilled 9 ounces of bittersweet chocolate (I used Ghirardelli 60% semisweet chocolate chips)
3 eggs, at room temperature3/4 cup sugar2 Tbsp. of water1 stick (8 Tbsp.) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature1 Tbsp. of pure vanilla extract
Fresh whipped cream, for topping Chocolate shavings or ground chocolate, for topping (optional)
DIRECTIONS
For the pie crustPlace the flour, salt, and sugar into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse briefly to just combine. Add in the very cold pieces of butter. Pulse several times until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs (about the size of peas). With the food processor running, slowly pour a tablespoon of the water through the feed tube. Continue to pour in more water, a tablespoon at a time. After you have poured in 3 tablespoons of water, add in the fourth tablespoon if the dough has not yet left the sides of the bowl. Allow the food processor to keep running until the dough completely leaves the sides of the bowl and forms into a ball. Carefully remove the dough from the food processor and wrap in saran wrap or seal in a plastic bag. Put into the refrigerator for 45 minutes. Roll cooled dough out into a 12 inch circle and put into a 9 inch pie pan. Trim and fold edges, then cover with plastic wrap and place in freezer for 30 minutes.
Adjust an oven rack to the lower middle position. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut a piece of parchment paper to place over the pie plate so it covers the plates edges. Fill with pie weights. Place in over and cook for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, carefully remove the weights and parchment paper, and lower oven temperature to 350 degrees. Place the pie crust back into the oven and cook for another 8 – 10 minutes, watching carefully until crust is golden but don’t let it burn. Allow to cool completely.
For the pie filling
Whip the cream until stiff peaks form. Place into an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use. Melt the chocolate in a small saucepan over medium low heat. Remove from heat and set aside to cool to room temperature. Put the eggs, water, and sugar into a saucepan and gently stir together. Set over a pan of simmering water and use an electric hand mixer and mix on medium speed until the mixture is thickened and 160 degrees Fahrenheit on an instant-read thermometer (about 8- 10 minutes). Remove from heat and continue to mix on medium speed for about 8 more minutes (or until the mixture is cooled to room temperature and fluffy). Add the cooled chocolate into the egg mixture and mix on medium low speed until incorporated. Stir in the pure vanilla extract. Then add in the butter, one tablespoon at a time, blending well after each addition. Add in the whipped cream and use a spatula to gently fold in until there are no streaks. Spread the chocolate filling evenly into the prepared pie shell. Cover and place in the fridge to firm up before serving (at least 3 hours). Top with freshly whipped cream and chocolate.
Recipe Source:Annie’s Eats, which was slightly adapted from Cook’s Illustrated Entertaining Spring 2011
Make It and Bake It with Beth 