cooking Lesson #244 Chocolate French Silk Pie

… from the California Kitchen

How you doin’? This creamy, sumptuous chocolate dessert was one of the melt-in-your-mouth recipes that I originally developed for T.R.’s Restaurants in Wichita, Kansas. I don’t think old Teddy ever tasted anything as good as this. I still make it for friends and family when a chocolate dessert is on the menu. This goes to prove that a good recipe can outlive the life of a president or even a presidential-named restaurant.
 
My French Silk Pie features a short-cut Oreo cookie crust, rich and creamy chocolate filling, and is topped with homemade whipped cream and chocolate shavings! This is the perfect end-of-the meal dessert!
 
Prep time:  30 minutes
Cook time:  20 minutes
Chill time:  6 hours
Yield:  6 to 8 servings
 
Ingredients
For the crust
20 chocolate stuffed sandwich cookies, filling intact (Oreos or store brand) (Option: See ChefSecret)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
 
For the filling
1-1/3 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
8 ounces bittersweet baking chocolate, melted
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1-1/2 cups heavy cream
4 teaspoons confectioners’ sugar
 
For the topping and garnish
1 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Chocolate shavings, for garnish
 
Directions
To make the crust

1. Preheat an oven to 350°F.
2. Spray a 9-inch, deep pie dish with food release.
3. Place the sandwich cookies in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Add in the melted butter and pulse until moistened. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pie dish.
4. Bake the pie crust for 10 minutes, set a timer.
5. Let the pie crust cool completely on a wire rack.

To make the filling

1. In a small saucepan, whisk together the granulated sugar and eggs. Set over medium-low heat and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture reaches 160°F and coats the back of a metal spoon (use a thermometer).
2. Remove from heat and stir in the melted chocolate and vanilla until smooth. Cool the mixture, stirring occasionally.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Gradually add in the cooled chocolate mixture then beat on high speed for 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy.
4. In a clean bowl use an electric mixer to beat the cream until it begins to thicken. Add the powdered sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
5. Gently fold into the chocolate mixture until the whipped cream is incorporated. Do not overmix.
6. Pour the mixture into the pan, evenly smoothing the. The pie crust will be filled to the top with the filling.
7. Chill for 6 hours. At this point the pie can be stored for up to a day ahead of time.

To make the topping:

1. Use an electric mixer to beat the cream, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla on high speed until stiff peaks form.
2. Top pie with the whipped cream.
3. Garnish with chocolate shavings.
4. Serve the pie well chilled.

ChefSecret: 

• Some recipes call for using raw egg whites. I don’t recommend the practice of using uncooked eggs—whites or yolks. A microorganism known to cause salmonella, a food borne illness, can be found in some raw egg products. 
  
• For a less sweet crust you can substitute 24 chocolate wafer cookies (Nabisco brand), 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 6 tablespoons melted unsalted butter.
  

Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “We’re starting to see the Covid-19 baby boom. In 2033, there will be a whole bunch of quaran-teens.”
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