Chocolate Cream Pie

I have a list of recipes that I want to find or create and one item on that list is a chocolate cream pie. There are so many yummy variations out there, but I haven't quite found what I am looking for yet. I guess there are worse things in the world than having to experiment with chocolate pie!! I found this recipe for Emeril's Chocolate Cream Pie on the Food Network website. Unfortunately, I have to admit that this one wasn't exactly what I was looking for either. But, it is a very rich, chocolate and creamy pie that you should definitely give a try!

Mmmmm...chocolate!

Ingredients
1 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar
3/4 cup heavy cream, plus 1 3/4 cups
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
pinch of salt
4 egg yolks
4 oz semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 tbsp butter
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp powdered sugar
1 (9 inch) chocolate cookie crust, baked (I used a regular pie crust this time)

Directions

1. In a small saucepan, combine sugar, 3/4 cup heavy cream, buttermilk, cornstarch and pinch of salt. Whisk until smooth. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, whisking from time to time until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. Continue to cook at a low boil for an additional 5 minutes, whisking constantly.

2. In a mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks lightly. Pour 1/2 cup of the hot mixture into the egg yolks and whisk thoroughly. Pour the egg yolk mixture into the saucepan and whisk over the heat until combined and thickened, 1 to 2 minutes.

3. Pour the mixture into a mixing bowl and whisk in the chocolate, butter and vanilla.

4. Continue whisking until combined (mixture will be very thick).

5. Cover the mixture with plastic wrap placed directly on the surface and refrigerate until cooled to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

6. Place 1 3/4 cups heavy cream in a chilled mixing bowl and add the powdered sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form.

7. Gently fold 1/4 of the whipped cream into the cooled chocolate pudding mixture.

8. Spoon the chocolate mixture into the prepared pie crust and refrigerate until firm and cool, at least 4 hours. Refrigerate the remaining whipped cream until you are ready to serve the pie. When ready to serve, top with whipped cream and serve immediately.

ENJOY!

Delicious Classic Apple Pie

As many things as I have baked over the years, I have never made an Apple Pie. Well, I take that back- I have made my Mom's Apple Crumb Pie (which I will post soon), but never the classic apple pie with crust. As I was flipping through my November issue of Food Network Magazine, I saw a recipe for apple pie and knew I had to make this one. It was the bomb!!! When I made the filling, it filled the whole house with a wonderful aroma and I really had to fight to refrain from sitting down with a spoon to just eat the feeling- it is SO good! It's like a little slice of heaven! The apples I used for the filling were: 4 Golden Delicious, 2 McIntosh and 4 Pink Lady. Honestly, I have never ventured out to try the many apple varieties there are, but am glad I did! You can use the dough recipe listed or your favorite dough recipe (or store bought). Next time I am going to try a pretty lattice top crust :-)

Ingredients

FILLING

3 pounds mixed apples (Golden Delicious, McIntosh and Pink Lady)

2/3 cup sugar

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

6 tbsp unsalted butter

1 tbsp all purpose flour

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

pinch of ground cloves

pinch of freshly grated nutmeg (so much better than the bottled kind)

DOUGH

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp salt

1/4 cup vegetable shortening

1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

2 large eggs

Directions

1. Prepare the filling: Peel, halve and core the apples. Cut each into wedges (I used my apple corer/slicer).
Place apple slices in a bowl and toss with the sugar and lemon juice in a bowl.

Melt 4 tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the apple mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until the firmer apples begin to soften but still hold their shape (about 8-9 minutes). Add the flour, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg to the apples and toss until the juices begin to thicken (about 1 minute). Remove from heat and cool completely. *The filling can be made up to 2 days ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator.

*Be warned that it's hard to not dig in right here :-)

2. Make the dough: Pulse the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor until combined. Add the shortening and pulse until disappears, about 30 seconds. (*I do not have a food processor, so did this part with my hands). Add the butter and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse meal with pea-size bits of butter. Beat 1 egg with 1/4 cup ICE water in a bowl, then add to the processor and pulse twice. (Stop pulsing before the dough gathers into a ball). Lay out 2 sheets of plastic wrap; divide dough between the sheets and pat each into a disk. Wrap the disks tightly and refrigerate at least one hour.

3. Roll 1 disk of dough into a 12 inch circle on a floured surface. Transfer this to a 9 1/2 inch deep dish glass pie plate. Add the filling, mounding it slightly and dot with 2 tbsp butter. chill the pie while you roll the remaining dough.

4. Roll the remaining dough and lay over the filling pressing the edges together. Fold the overhanging dough under itself and crimp with fingers. Beat the remaining egg in a bowl and brush over the top crust; sprinkle with sugar. Pierce the top with a knife a few times to let steam escape. Chill for 30 minutes.

5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place the pie on a baking sheet; bake until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbly, about 55-60 minutes. Cover the edges with foil if they are browing too quickly. Transfer to a rack and cool until set, about 2 hours.

ENJOY!

Butter Flaky Pie Crust

One of the things I remember my Mom always making was an awesome flaky pie crust. It took me a few years to master it, but I have it down now. And there are not any store bought pie crusts that come close to a good homemade pie crust! When you look for recipes, they are all pretty similar if not identical, but the chilled butter and ice water are crucial to the recipe!

** This yields one pie crust- you need to double this if you need a top and bottom crust**

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter, chilled and diced

1/4 cup ice water

In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Stir in water, a tablespoon at a time, until mixture forms into a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

Roll dough out to fit a 9 inch pie plate. Press the dough evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the pie plate. Bake as directed for pie recipe.

French Silk Pie

A few months ago, I wanted to make a chocolate pie and went on a search for a good recipe. I ended up picking a French Silk Pie recipe from my Better Homes and Garden New Cookbook. This is VERY good!! I will warn you though that it is also very rich! It is almost fudge like in texture, but oh so good!! You can either whip up some heavy whipping cream or use Cool Whip for the topping. I prefer using the heavy cream, but would use the Cool Whip in a pinch! Add some chocolate shavings on top and you have a very nice dessert for any meal!

Ingredients
1 baked pie crust (homemade or store bought)
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup semisweet chocolate pieces (6 oz)
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup sugar
2 egg yolks, beaten
3 tbsp whipping cream (or creme de cacao)
1 cup whipped cream

Directions
Prepare pie crust; set aside. In a medium heavy saucepan combine 1 cup whipping cream, chocolate, butter and sugar. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until chocolate is melted (about 10 minutes).




Remove from heat. Gradually stir half of the hot mixture into egg yolks. Return egg mixture to chocolate mixture in saucepan. Cook over medium low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is slightly thickened and begins to bubble (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat. (Mixture may appear lightly curdled). Stir in the 3 tbsp whipping cream (or creme de cacao). Place the saucepan in a bowl of ice water, stirring occasionally, until the mixture stiffens and becomes hard to stir (about 20 minutes)

Transfer the chocolate mixture to a medium mixing bowl. Beat chocolate mixture on medium to high speed for 2 to 3 minutes or until light and fluffy.

Spread filling in the baked pastry shell.

Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 5 hours to 24 hours.

Before serving, remove plastic wrap.

Top with whipped cream and serve.

Enjoy! (Just posting this makes me want to go in the kitchen and get another bite....yum!!)