Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Another version of chocolate cream pie...not "aversion" unfortunately for the old waistline...


Here's another that I've tried. It's quite good actually. I think I prefer the Oreo crust still, but this is an option. Of course, you could always make the crust though this calls for store bought. 







Ingredients
  • 1 pie crust, homemade or store-bought (see below pie crust recipe)
  • 4 large egg whites
  • 3/4 cup plus 3 Tbsp. sugar
  • 10 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (do not exceed 71% cacao), chopped, plus more shaved with a vegetable peeler for garnish
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 4 cups heavy cream, divided
  • 1 cup coarsely crushed chocolate wafer cookies (such as Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers), divided
  • 1/2 cup crème fraîche
  • 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Special Equipment:
    A 9-inch pie dish
Preparation
  • Preheat oven to 350°. Line pie dish with crust; crimp edges decoratively. Fully bake pie crust according to instructions in recipe or on box. Let cool completely.
  • Whisk egg whites and sugar in a medium heatproof bowl set over a medium saucepan of simmering water until sugar dissolves and egg whites are warm but not hot, 3–4 minutes. Remove from heat. Using an electric mixer, beat on medium-high speed until cool, tripled in volume, and stiff peaks form (the tips of the peaks won't fall over when beaters are lifted from bowl and turned upright), about 6 minutes.
  • Stir chopped chocolate and butter in a large bowl set over same saucepan of simmering water until melted and smooth, 4–5 minutes; set aside.
  • Beat 2 cups cream in another medium bowl until medium peaks form (cream should be soft and pillowy), 5-6 minutes.
  • Gently fold egg whites into warm chocolate mixture until fully incorporated (work quickly to prevent chocolate from turning gritty). Gently fold in whipped cream just until no white streaks remain; do not overmix or mixture will deflate. Spoon ½ cup chocolate mousse into bottom of prepared pie crust; spread evenly over bottom of crust. Sprinkle 3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. crushed chocolate wafers over mousse. Top with remaining mousse, mounding in the center to create a dome. (The point is to add height, not to spread out evenly to edges.) Chill pie.
  • Beat remaining 2 cups cream, crème fraîche, and salt until medium-stiff peaks form (when the beaters are lifted from the cream, the peaks will hold their shape but the tips will fall over). Top chocolate mousse with whipped-cream mixture, following the same rounded dome shape. Chill pie for at least 4 hours or, covered, for up to 3 days. (It will slice best if chilled overnight, allowing mousse to set properly.)
  • Garnish pie with 2 Tbsp. chocolate wafers and chocolate shavings. Slice pie using a clean, dry knife; wipe between slices to ensure clean, elegant pieces.


In case, here's a pie crust recipe:

Pie Crust

Makes 2 pie crusts (enough dough for 1 double-crust pie, 1 lattice-topped pie, or 2 single-crust pies)
  • PREP: 20 minutes
  • TOTAL: 50 minutes (includes chilling time)

Ingredients
  • 3 cups unbleached all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Preparation
  • Whisk flour, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Add butter; rub in with your fingertips until mixture resembles a coarse meal. Add 1/3 cup ice water. Work mixture with your fingertips until dough comes together in moist clumps, adding more water by tablespoonfuls if too dry to form a ball. (Dough should be on the drier side, it will hydrate as it rests. Too much water and you could end up with a tough pie crust).
  • Gather dough into a ball. Divide in half; flatten into disks. Wrap in plastic; chill until firm, at least 1 hour. DO AHEAD:Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled. Let soften slightly before rolling.
  • Roll out dough disk on lightly floured surface to 13-inch round. Transfer crust to 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Press crust evenly onto bottom and up sides of dish. Trim dough overhang to 1 inch. If making a single crusted pie, fold overhang under, forming high-standing rim 3/4 inch above sides of dish. Crimp edges decoratively. If making a double crusted pie, roll out second dough disk on a lightly floured surface to a 13-14" round. Transfer to a baking sheet. Cover crusts with plastic wrap. Chill until firm, about 1 hour.
  • If blind-baking, position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Line frozen pie crust with foil; fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake crust until sides are set, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove foil and beans. Bake just until crust is set and sides are pale golden, 5 to 7 minutes longer.



Buon Appetito!




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