Fudge Pie

This fudge pie is closer to a dense brownie than a traditional pie. There’s no crust to roll and no complicated technique, just melted chocolate and butter whisked into sweetened, beaten eggs, poured into a greased pie pan, and baked.

The one tablespoon of flour is doing quiet but important work. It’s just enough to bind the eggs without turning the pie into a cake, keeping the middle gooey while giving the top enough structure to form that crackly, brownie-style crust.

Unsweetened baking chocolate is the right call here, not chocolate chips. The sugar in chips throws the ratio off and you lose the deep, almost bitter cocoa edge that makes fudge pie taste like fudge pie.

The two-stage bake (350°F/175°C then down to 250°F/120°C) gives the top time to set and crack while the centre stays barely-set and fudgy. Pull it when the edges are firm but the middle still has a slight wobble.

Chef Tips

• Melt chocolate and butter slowly over a double boiler or in short microwave bursts, scorched chocolate turns grainy and ruins the texture.
• Let the melted chocolate mixture cool a few minutes before stirring into the eggs, hot chocolate will scramble them.
• Beat the eggs well before adding sugar, this builds a bit of aeration that gives the top its classic crackle.
• Cool at least 20 minutes before slicing, warm fudge pie collapses into a puddle.

Variations

• Stir a handful of toasted pecans or walnuts into the batter for crunch.
• Add a tablespoon of espresso powder with the flour to deepen the chocolate flavour.
• Top with whipped cream and a drizzle of raspberry coulis for a dinner-party finish.