Tag: chocolate

 

True, this pie is not for the spineless, pressed-for-time, novice custard maker. But if you don’t jump in and give it a go, how will you ever become a strong-hearted, advanced custard baker? And besides, this pie asks more of you than custard. The real skills to master are patience and diligence in understanding the flow of the whole recipe before you start. Alternatively, you can throw together an apple pie and pass a few more pleasant hours in your comfort zone.

The Crust

Penelope’s Ultimate Pie Crust for a single crust pie, blind baked. Wait till the crust is cool to brush it with a thin layer of melted semi-sweet chocolate so it won’t be soggy when the filling is added.

The Filling

1. 1 large whole egg, lightly beaten
2. plus 4 egg yolks
3. 3 cups whole milk
4. ½ cup granulated sugar
5. 6 tbs cornstarch
6. ¼ tsp salt
7. ½ cup Dutch process cocoa powder
8. 1 cup heavy cream
9. 2 tbs confectioner’s sugar
10. chocolate curls or shavings for garnish (it’s easier to use a block instead of a bar of chocolate)

Prepare an ice bath and set aside

Lightly whisk the egg yolks, set aside

In a saucepan, whisk together the milk, granulated sugar, cornstarch and salt

Bring to a simmer, not a boil and cook, whisking 3 to 4 minutes

Whisk a quarter of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks (do this slowly so the eggs don’t scramble)

Whisk in the remaining milk mixture

Add 4 ounces finely chopped semisweet chocolate

Whisk until chocolate has melted completely

Strain into a clean saucepan

Cook over medium high heat, whisking constantly until the chocolate custard is thick and bubbles appear in the center, 2 to 3 minutes

Transfer to a medium bowl, and cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly on the surface

Set the bowl in the ice bath until the filling is completely chilled, 35 minutes

Fill the chocolate coated crust with the custard

Refrigerate pie, loosely covered with plastic wrap for at least 2 hours

Combine the cream and confectioner’s sugar

Whip until soft peaks form

Using a pastry bag fitted with a leaf tip, pipe whipped cream on top of filling

Garnish with chocolate curls

Refrigerate cream up to 2 hours before serving

This dreamy pie likes to be presented in a tart pan. And speaking of dreams, if you really want to enjoy it in the right setting, consider planting a white garden like Virginia Woolf did at Sissinghurst. It’ll be the perfect place to enjoy this bright summer treat when friends drop around after a rousing afternoon of archery or sculling down the nearest lazy river. Okay, maybe just put on a white dress. Third choice — get a clean (white) t-shirt and call it a (summer’s) day.

The Crust

Chocolate Wafer Crumb Crust for a single crust pie

The Filling

1. 4 large egg yolks
2. ⅓ cup granulated sugar
3. ¼ cup cornstarch
4. ¼ tsp salt
5. 3 cups whole milk
6. 7 oz white chocolate (Lindt or Baker’s)
7. 2 tbs unsalted butter, softened
8. 1 tsp vanilla extract
9. 1 cup whipping cream, chilled
10. 2 tsp confectioner’s sugar
11. white chocolate shavings for garnish (a block of chocolate is easier than a bar)

 

Cream together the butter and vanillaIn the top of a double boiler, melt the white chocolate

Add the butter and vanilla mixture

Remove from heat

In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks

In a large saucepan, over medium heat, combine the sugar, cornstarch and salt

Slowly whisk in the milk

Continue whisking until the mixture reaches a boil

Cook for 1 minute, still whisking constantly

Quickly transfer half the milk mixture to the egg yolks

Whisk to combine, then return the egg yolk and milk mixture to the saucepan

Return to a boil and cook for 1 minute longer, still whisking

Remove from heat

Stir the melted chocolate, butter and vanilla mixture into the milk mixture

Cover with plastic wrap, press it directly onto the surface of the filling to prevent a skin from forming

Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for 2 hours to set

Pile the cooled filling into the pie crust

Chill for at least 6 hours

Using the whisk attachment of an electric mixture, beat the cream and confectioner’s sugar until stiff peaks form

Remove the pie from the refrigerator

Top the filling with the cream

Garnish with white chocolate shaving

If you like stirring things up (gently), this is the pie for you. Layers of rich chocolate batter and the creamiest cream cheese are ideal for bakers who love bringing the perfect ingredients together. Besides, there’s nothing like a good marblizing moment to make a person feel at one with the lyrical design of the universe. It also takes less time than sitting through “Tree of Life.”

The Crust

Chocolate Wafer Crumb Crust for a single crust pie

The Filling

1. ½ cup unsalted butter
2. 4 oz bittersweet chocolate, broken into pieces
3. 2 eggs
4. ⅔ cup sugar
5. ½ cup all purpose flour
6. ¼ tsp salt
7. ½ cup chopped walnuts
8. 8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
9. ⅓ cup sugar
10. 1 egg
11. 1 tsp vanilla extract

Heat the oven to 325°

In a double boiler, over simmering water, stir the chocolate and butter together until melted and smooth, about 5 minutes, set aside

In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs until blended

Add the sugar, flour and salt, and beat until mixed

Stir in the melted chocolate mixture

Add walnuts and combine

Remove ½ cup of the batter and set aside

Pour the remainder of the chocolate mixture into the cooled pie shell

In another bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth

Beat in the sugar, egg and vanilla until blended

Spread the cream cheese mixture over the chocolate batter in the pie crust

Spoon the reserved chocolate batter randomly over the top

With a knife, swirl the batters together to form a marbled effect

Bake until the filling is set, about 40 minutes

Serve at room temperature, or chilled

 

This week’s pie place is the muddy, mosquito ridden (although that might not be totally true, even though one or two mosquitoes probably touched down at some time or other) Mississippi River, which is apparently (or allegedly, depending on how guilty this incredibly rich pie makes you feel) where this pie got its name (although most bakers, fearing unpleasant associations, have by now dropped the Mosquito part). Chocolate Wafer Crumb Crust

The Filling

1. 2 cups chocolate ice cream, softened
2. 1½ cups hot fudge sauce
3. ¼ cup chopped almonds, lightly toasted

Spoon the softened ice cream over the pie crust

Smooth the top

Spread the hot fudge sauce over the ice cream layer

Garnish with the toasted almonds

Cover loosely with plastic wrap (use toothpicks to keep the plastic from sticking to the sauce)

Freeze for 4 hours

The recipe for these little tarts may have a lot of steps, but it produces equal amounts of adoration (and calories). Sweetest, Easiest Sweet Tart Dough for (8) tartlet pans

Blind bake for 20 minutes

Remove from oven and brush the base with the lightly beaten egg

Bake another 15 minutes, until the crusts are set

Transfer to a wire cooling rack

The Filling

1. 1 large egg, lightly beaten
2. 4 oz unsweetened baking chocolate
3. ¼ cup unsalted butter
4. 1 cup granulated sugar
5. 3 tbs cornstarch
6. 3 large eggs
7. 1½ tsp vanilla extract
8. 1 cup whipping cream
9. 3 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
10. ½ cup strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced for garnish>/li>
11. ½ cup superfine sugar
12. 1 cup fresh orange juice
13. zest of 1 orange
14. ½ cup water
15. ⅓ cup Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur

In a double boiler (or the microwave), melt the chocolate and butter

Combine the sugar and cornstarch and add to the chocolate mixture

Stir until well blended and remove from heat

With an electric mixer, beat the eggs until light and thick

Stir the eggs into the chocolate mixture and return to medium heat

Cook for 5 minutes, stirring until the mixture is thick and glossy

Whisk in the vanilla

Remove from the heat and let it cool completely

With the electric mixer (again), beat the cream until stiff

Fold the chocolate mixture into the cream

Spoon into the tartlet pans

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours

Place the strawberries, sugar and orange juice in a saucepan and simmer for 15 minutes

Add the orange zest and water

Simmer for another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally

Strain the berry mixture through a fine sieve to remove seeds

Stir in the liqueur and cool to room temperature

Drizzle the liqueur generously over each tartlet

Garnish with the fresh strawberries

Understanding the three critical steps of the custard: making the milk mixture, simmering it to the right temperature, then adding it gradually to the egg yolks so they don’t scramble is the key to cream pie. The rest is folding, combining, and the really hard part: waiting for it to chill! (Same with people).The Zen Master’s Pie Crust for a single crust pie

Custard Filling

1. 1 large whole egg, lightly beaten plus 4 large egg yolks
2. 3 cups whole milk
3. ⅔ cup granulated sugar
4. 5 tbs cornstarch
5. ¼ tsp salt
6. 6 oz semisweet chocolate
7. 1 cup heavy cream
8. ¼ cup confectioner’s sugar
9. Chocolate curls or shavings for garnish

In a large bowl, prepare an ice bath (ice cubes and cold water), set aside

In a medium bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks, set aside

In a saucepan, whisk together the milk, granulated sugar, cornstarch and salt

Bring to a simmer, not a boil, and cook, whisking constantly, 3-4 minutes

Whisk a quarter of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks

Whisk in remaining milk mixture

Strain into a clean saucepan, and cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until the custard is thick and bubbles appear in the center, 2-3 minutes

Transfer to a medium bowl, set aside

Melt 4 oz. of the chocolate in the top of a double boiler or heat proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water (but don’t let the bowl touch the water), or in the microwave

Swirl the melted chocolate into the custard

Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming

Set into the ice bath until completely chilled, 30-35 minutes (or in the fridge up to 1 day)

Melt the remaining 2 oz. of chocolate

Stir until smooth, and set aside until cool to the touch, stirring occasionally

Using a pastry brush, coat the inside of the cooled crust with melted chocolate

Put in the fridge or freezer until firm to the touch, about 10 minutes

Fill the prepared pie crust with custard, spreading evenly with an offset spatulaIn the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the heavy cream and confectioner’s sugar

Beat on med-high until soft peaks form

Using the offset spatula, spread the whipped cream on top of the custard

Refrigerate pie at least 3 hours before serving

Garnish with chocolate curls or shavings

Even when she had a regular office job, Penelope was never wild for corporate team-building events. She preferred pie and conversation to “trust” games that turned into Pinter plays. And baking in teams? Forget it. So it took some convincing by her friend, Steve, to get her to an evening hosted by Cooking by the Book, with an aproned facilitator and teams ready to square off for culinary color war. But no, at Cooking by the Book, a group of 12-40 aspiring team-builders is divided into an enthusiastic association of 4 or 5 people; each supervised by a professional chef and responsible for preparing one recipe of a complete gourmet meal, which the group then enjoys together. Steve, curious by nature but a corporate team-builder by marriage only, swore to Penelope she would be in the pie group, so she went. “It’s great,” he explained. “You get a glimpse of what it’s like to be in chef school. And I actually learned how to make pie crust.” Penelope had to agree. Any corporation that understood the wisdom of teaching pie crust was a company that belonged in her portfolio. And from the looks of Cooking by the Books’ client list, that wouldn’t make things worse.

The Pie Crust

1. 1½ cups all purpose flour, or more if needed
2. ¼ cup confectioners sugar
3. ½ tsp baking powder (optional)
4. 1 large egg, lightly beaten
5. 8 tbs unsalted butter, cut into pieces and softened
6. pinch of salt

In a medium or electric mixer bowl, combine the butter, confectioners’ sugar, eggs, baking powder and salt

Process until well blended, 5 to 7 seconds

Add the flour, ½ cup at a time, and process until the dough just holds together; it should be soft and pliable but not sticky

Gather the dough into a ball; press into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until well chilled

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough

Fit the dough into a 9 ½ inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom and trim off the excess.Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes

The Filling

1. l7 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2. ½ cup milk
3. 1 large egg yolk
4. 1 cup creme fraiche
5. 1 three-ounce piece of bittersweet chocolate cut into shavings with a vegetable peeler

Preheat the oven to 325°

Place the chocolate in a medium bowl

Bring the milk to a boil, pour over the chocolate, and stir gently until the chocolate is melted and smooth (Careful of creating air bubbles)

In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg yolk with the crème fraîche

Add the crème fraîche mixture to the chocolate mixture and stir to blend

Set aside to cool completely

Pour the chocolate filling into the tart shell

Bake in the center of the oven for 18 to 25 minutes, until the filling is just set; it will still be somewhat soft

Transfer to a wire rack to cool to room temperature

In an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, whisk the cream until firm but soft peaks have formed

Add the sugar and vanilla and whisk 30 seconds longer

To serve, slice the tart and place on individual serving plates

Top with creme chantilly and sprinkle the chocolate shavings on each slice

Candied Grapefruit Peel (40 Strips)

1. 2 Grapefruits
2. 2 ⅓ cups water
3. ⅔ cup sugar

Using vegetable peeler, remove 10 wide strips of zest from grapefruit (Make sure there’s none of the white pith underneath)

Slice into ¼ julienne strips

In a saucepan, cover the strips with 2 cups of water

Bring to a boil and cook for 10 seconds

Drain in a strainer and rinse the strips under cold water

Return the zest strips to the saucepan with ⅓ cup of sugar and ⅔ cups of water

Bring to boil and cook, uncovered, until the mixture starts to thicken, about 8 minutes

Spread ⅓ cup of sugar on a tray

Add the strips and toss

Transfer to plate and let stand for half-an-hour

Recipe adapted by Cooking by the Book, 13 Worth Street, New York, NY from Flavors of France, Alain Ducasse, 1998