My husband and I hosted a post-Valentine's Day dinner this past weekend.  The appetizers, soup, salad and main dish were all extraordinary (if I do say so myself).  But the stand-out was the French Silk Chocolate Pie.  When all was said-and-done, I had four pieces.  Yes, you heard me... four pieces!
     The photo above shows the last, lone slice of pie (which I eventually ate).  The recipe from Faith in the Kitchn, couldn't have been any better.  The only thing I did differently was to add a sprinkling of toasted, sliced almonds; totally optional.

                             recipe from theKitchn | no changes what-so-ever

• 1 (9-inch) pie crust, cooked and cooled
• 4 ounces good-quality bittersweet chocolate
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon espresso powder (optional)
• 1 cup cold heavy cream
• 1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 large organic or free-range eggs, pasteurized if desired
• Additional whipped cream, for topping

Heat the chocolate in a microwave on medium power (about 45-90 seconds) or over the stovetop on medium-low until melted. Whisk in the vanilla and espresso powder, if using, and set aside to cool.

In a medium bowl beat the heavy cream with an electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form, 2-3 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed for one minute. Add the sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add the cooled chocolate to the butter-sugar mixture and beat until incorporated. Add 2 eggs and beat on medium speed for three minutes. Add the remaining egg and beat for another three minutes until the mixture is silky and smooth.

Fold the chilled whipped cream into the chocolate filling until no visible white streaks remain. Pour the filling into the prepared pie crust and smooth with an offset spatula. Refrigerate for a minimum of two hours, but preferably overnight. Decorate the pie with freshly whipped cream or dollop a spoonful onto each slice.



TAKE a LOOK:





 


Comments

02/17/2013 7:32am

I'm not from the New England area, so I hope it's okay for a Pacific NW boy to co-opt this phrase, but that pie looks WICKED GOOD! Four pieces, eh? Atta girl, Eileen, atta girl!

Reply
Kate
02/17/2013 11:02am

Ha, Tom!
You and I are simply jealous at best :)

Reply
Kate
02/17/2013 11:06am

The pie is a mile high into the heavens and looks as light as the clouds.
I love the pastry fluted shape.
You always bring a bit extra to your presentations.
If you are as wicked as Tom says, and as I am, this last slice was enjoyed with the Sunday morning java in a most luxurious fashion!

Reply
Eileen
02/17/2013 11:13am

Actually, Kate... I stood at the kitchen counter and shoveled it into my mouth as quickly as possible ;-P

Reply
Kate
02/17/2013 11:20am

I love you!!!! ;)

02/18/2013 10:02am

Well Eileen that is how we professional pie-eaters do it, sans utensils and finger-licking ready!

03/10/2013 9:14am

If you put the eggs in the freezer till they are really cold ( almost frozen) you will get a even higher pie. I use my kitchen aid mixer beat it on high.

Reply
Kathy B
03/27/2013 12:09pm

I was wondering if there is a way to print just the recipe? I ended up printing quite a few pages trying to get it. Am I just not seeing where the option is?
Oh, and btw. . . what an amazing site!! I am both thrilled and distressed (this is going to be soooo dangerous for me) to have found you! :D

Reply
Eileen
03/27/2013 12:28pm

Kathy -- I'm sorry you're having difficulty printing recipes. Unfortunately, my site doesn't have a "print" option available. What I do (even with my own pages) is copy the recipe and then paste it on an email to myself. That's the only way I've figured to do it. I will let my website host know that it's something that should be made available. And thanks for visiting Passions to Pastry. I hope you come back often!

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply