Chocolate Cream Bliss

I'd always looked down on cream pies - at our house we were fruit pie purists, and I only saw cream pies at chain restaurants, drooping under too much Cool Whip. Then I made key lime pie (custard, I suppose, but cream pie-ish) and my tastebuds were opened. Cream pies made from scratch are de-LICIOUS. Oh my god. Silky and decadent without being too sweet. And they're not hard, though there are a few more steps than with fruit pie. I've made this J.O.C. chocolate cream twice and like it best with whipped cream and a butter crust; graham cracker would probably be good too. Oh, and I added a secret strawberry layer. There must be a metaphor in that, but I slipped them in because my friend requested chocolate mousse with strawberries, and this was as close as I could get.


Classic Chocolate Cream Pie

1 single BAKED pastry crust (or crumb crust)
Whisk in a medium saucepan (no heat yet)
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
Add gradually (still no heat)
2 1/2 cups whole milk
Whisk in
5 large egg yolks (separating these is gloppy and fun - see pic)

Now bring everything to a bare simmer over medium heat. Stir often and wait 'til it coats the back of a spoon. Take it off the heat, scrape the sides, and whisk it smooth. Put back on to simmer another couple minutes, then take off heat and stir in:
4 oz. chopped unsweetened baking chocolate
3 tablespoons diced butter


What can I say? All that butter and yolk and fatty milk makes it the decadent comfort food it is. A sliver of this is better than a whole fat-free freezer pie. Once the chocolate is melted and mixed, you've got your cream filling. Pour it in the baked crust, cover pie with saran wrap, and slip it in the fridge. It'll need a good 3 hours to set, if not more. Just before I'm ready to take the pie out, I whip up a small container of heavy cream, toss in a handful of sugar, whip it some more, and cover the pie with a nice snowy layer of whipped cream. Take a vegetable peeler and apply it to a square of baking or semisweet chocolate for a final, Martha Stewart-y touch.


Comments

DCP said…
Wait, does this pie exist this very second???
July 12, 2008 at 5:32 PM
Pi-Rene said…
i wish! no, it was for windy's b-day...so it's all eaten now. but there'll be another chocolatey pie soon.
July 13, 2008 at 5:37 AM
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