redemption

This chocolate cream pie is a great way to bust any New Year’s resolutions you might have had the misfortune of imposing upon yourself. I really didn’t intend it as an act of defiance, but this recipe will work just fine for that purpose if you’re in need of such a thing. You might have noticed that this is White Dessert from Saveur Magazine Part II (see the Saveur Pavlova Disaster for Part I) but I fared way better this time. This pie is none too sweet; the chocolate filling is pleasantly bittersweet and like a dense mousse. The whipped cream balances out the bitterness of the chocolate, and the crust adds just enough crunch and saltiness to tie it all together.

And now onto the best part of this pie: it was made for my neighbor’s Super Bowl frenzy on Sunday. Champagne and victory always make things just a little sweeter, but never fear. This pie can stand up on its own, which is good to know just in case you happen to live somewhere like Indianapolis.

Chocolate Cream Pie
From Saveur Magazine, January/February 2010

• 16 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 1⁄2" cubes and chilled, plus more for pie plate
• 1⁄4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 9-oz. package chocolate wafers, such as Nabisco, finely ground (about 2 1⁄4 cups)
• 1⁄2 cups half-and-half
• 2⁄3 cup plus 2 tbsp. sugar
• 1⁄4 cup cornstarch
• 9 egg yolks
• 9oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
• 2 1⁄2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 cups heavy cream
• Dark chocolate, for garnish

1. Heat oven to 375°. Grease bottom and sides of a 9" glass pie plate with butter; set aside. Heat 8 tbsp. butter and brown sugar in a 1-qt. saucepan until sugar dissolves. Transfer butter mixture to a medium bowl; stir in ground wafers and salt. Transfer mixture to pie plate; press into bottom and sides, using the bottom of a measuring cup to compress crust. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. Bake until set, about 15 minutes; let cool.

2. Heat half-and-half in a 4-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat until it just begins to simmer; remove pan from heat. In a large bowl, whisk together 2⁄3 cup sugar and cornstarch; add egg yolks and whisk until smooth. Drizzle half-and-half into egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly, until smooth. Return mixture to saucepan; heat over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until bubbles rise to the surface and mixture is very thick, 3–4 minutes. Remove pan from heat and add remaining butter and chocolates in small batches, whisking until smooth; stir in 1 1⁄2 tsp. vanilla. Set a sieve over a medium bowl and strain chocolate mixture. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing plastic onto surface; refrigerate until set, about 4 hours.

3. Remove plastic wrap from chocolate filling and, using a rubber spatula, stir mixture until smooth. Spoon mixture into reserved crust, forming a dome, and smooth surface with the spatula. In a large bowl, whisk remaining sugar, remaining vanilla, and heavy cream until stiff peaks form; spread on top of filling, forming a dome. Using a peeler, shave some of the dark chocolate onto top of pie. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.