Divine Triple Chocolate Pie
Submitted by Rainsbow1
Triple chocolate pie with a from-scratch chocolate crust, airy chocolate chiffon filling with unsweetened chocolate, and grated semi-sweet chocolate on whipped cream. Three chocolates, one show-stopping pie.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
60 minCOOK
12 minREADY
1 hrsThree layers of chocolate in one pie: a homemade chocolate pastry crust, a billowy chocolate chiffon filling, and grated semi-sweet chocolate over whipped cream on top. This is a project pie, and it earns every minute of effort.
The crust starts as a classic pastry dough with grated semi-sweet chocolate folded in. It bakes blind (pricked all over with a fork) until golden. That chocolate in the crust creates little pockets of flavor in every bite of the flaky base.
The filling is where the real technique lives. Unsweetened chocolate melts into a custard base of egg yolks, milk, sugar, and gelatin. Once chilled to the consistency of unbeaten egg whites (thick but pourable), stiffly beaten egg whites get folded in first, then whipped cream. This double fold is what gives the filling that impossibly light, mousse-like texture while the gelatin holds it all together.
Pro Tips
- Chill the chocolate mixture to exactly the right consistency before folding. Too runny and the egg whites deflate. Too set and you get lumps. It should mound slightly when dropped from a spoon.
- Beat the egg whites to stiff, glossy peaks. Add the sugar one tablespoon at a time, not all at once, for a stable meringue that holds its volume.
- Fold gently. Use a rubber spatula with slow, sweeping motions. Stirring knocks the air out and you’ll lose the chiffon’s lightness.
- Chill at least 2 hours before serving so the gelatin sets fully and the slices hold their shape.
Variations
- Oreo crust shortcut: Crush Oreos with melted butter for a no-roll chocolate crust if you’re short on time.
- Mocha filling: Add a tablespoon of instant espresso powder to the custard base for a coffee-chocolate combination.
- Dark chocolate version: Swap the unsweetened chocolate for 70% dark chocolate and reduce the sugar slightly for a more bittersweet filling.
Ingredients
Directions
CHOCOLATE PIE CRUST:
Sift the salt and flour into a bowl and cut in the shortening, using a pastry blender, until coarse crumbs form. Add the chocolate and water, tossing with a fork, until the dough forms.
Press the dough firmly into a ball and then roll out on a lightly floured surface into a 13-inch circle.
Loosely fit the dough into a 9-inch pie plate and trim the edge so that there it reaches 1 inch beyond the rim of the pie plate. Fold the extra under the edge of the crust to from a ridge. Flute the edge and prick the entire surface of the pie shell with a fork. Bake at 400℉ (200℃) for 12 minutes or until a golden brown. Cool on a rack.
CHOCOLATE PIE:
Stir the ¼ cup of sugar, the gelatin and salt together in a 2-quart saucepan. Stir in the milk and slightly beaten egg yolks. Add 3 (1 oz) squares of unsweetened chocolate and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the chocolate melts and the gelatin dissolves.
Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Chill in the refrigerator, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is the consistency of unbeaten egg whites.
Remove the chocolate mixture from the refrigerator and set aside.
Immediately beat the egg whites and cream of tartar, in another bowl, until foamy, using an electric mixer set on high speed. Gradually add the ¼ cup of sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition.
Continue beating until stiff, glossy peaks form when the beaters are slowly lifted. When the chocolate mixture mounds slightly when dropped from a spoon, beat until smooth, using an electric mixer at medium speed.
Fold the egg white mixture into the chocolate mixture; then fold in the whipped cream. Chill in the refrigerator until the mixture mounds well when spooned. Turn into the chocolate pie shell. Chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours or until set.
To serve, decorate the pie with puffs of sweetened whipped cream. Grate and sprinkle the chocolate over the whipped cream.
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