Old Dominion Chocolate Pie
Submitted by DavidRapoza
Old Dominion chocolate pie layers a buttery hand-cut crust with rich unsweetened chocolate custard, cooked low on the stovetop until thick and glossy. A Virginia classic with deep cocoa flavor.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
20 minREADY
40 minOld Dominion chocolate pie is the kind of stovetop custard pie that built reputations in Virginia farmhouses long before instant pudding mixes hit the shelves. The filling cooks slowly on low heat with whole milk and unsweetened chocolate, thickened with flour and tempered egg yolks until it coats the back of a spoon.
The crust comes together with cold butter cut into flour the old-fashioned way, bound with a single egg yolk and ice water. That extra fat from the yolk is what keeps the pastry tender even after rolling.
Pro Tips
- Stir the custard constantly once the milk hits the heat. Chocolate scorches fast on the bottom of the pan, and a wooden spoon reaching into the corners is your best defense.
- Temper the egg yolks by whisking in a ladle of hot custard before adding them to the pot. Dump them in cold and you’ll end up with sweet scrambled eggs.
- Pre-bake the shell to a light golden color so the bottom doesn’t go soggy under the wet filling.
- Cool the custard on the counter for 15 minutes before pouring it in. Hot custard meeting a baked shell creates steam pockets that crack the surface.
Variations
- Swap half the unsweetened chocolate for bittersweet and cut the sugar by 2 tablespoons for a darker, less sweet pie.
- Top with whipped cream and shaved chocolate, or go classic with a billowy meringue browned under the broiler.
- Add a teaspoon of espresso powder to the custard to deepen the cocoa flavor without making it taste like coffee.
Ingredients
Directions
Mix flour and salt in a mixing bowl.
Cut the cold butter in with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
Whisk the egg yolk and 2 Tb. cold water together and add to the flour mixture.
Blend until the pastry is smooth and holds together in a ball.
This pastry will not get tough if you handle it a lot and you can even mix it in a food processor.
Bake the pastry dough for 12 minutes, until lightly browned.
Set aside.
Combine the milk and chocolate in a saucepan and heat, stirring until the chocolate and milk are smoothly blended.
Combine the sugar, flour and salt in a saucepan.
Stir in the milk/chocolate and cook over low heat, stirring constantly until thick.
Add the egg yolks and continue cooking, stirring for 3 minutes.
Remove from heat and blend in the butter and vanilla.
Let the custard cool for about 15 minutes, then pour it into the pie shell and refrigerate until ready to serve.
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