Description
These delicious homemade chocolate pies feature a crisp, buttery crust filled with a rich and creamy chocolate custard. Perfectly balanced in sweetness and decadence, they make an impressive dessert for any occasion. The recipe guides you through making the pie crust from scratch, baking it to a golden crisp, and preparing a smooth, velvety chocolate filling that sets beautifully in the refrigerator.
Ingredients
Scale
Pie Crust
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1/4 cup ice water (more if needed)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp granulated sugar (optional)
Chocolate Filling
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 large egg yolks
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 oz semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
Garnish
- Whipped cream or whipped topping
- Chocolate shavings or cocoa powder for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the Pie Dough: In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, salt, and optional sugar. Add the cold, cubed butter and use a pastry cutter or your fingers to cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized butter pieces.
- Add Ice Water: Gradually add ice water one tablespoon at a time, mixing until the dough starts to come together. Add more water if necessary to form a cohesive dough.
- Chill the Dough: Shape the dough into a disc, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to firm up.
- Roll Out the Dough: On a floured surface, roll the chilled dough to about 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into 5-inch diameter circles and gently press into a muffin tin or small individual pie tins.
- Bake the Pie Crusts: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line each crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans to prevent puffing. Bake for 10-12 minutes, then remove weights and parchment and bake an additional 5 minutes until golden and fully cooked. Let cool completely.
- Make the Chocolate Custard: In a medium saucepan, whisk together milk, heavy cream, sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch, and salt. Heat over medium, whisking constantly until simmering and thickened.
- Temper the Eggs: In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks. Slowly add a small amount of the hot milk mixture into the eggs while whisking constantly to temper them and prevent curdling.
- Combine Mixtures: Pour the tempered egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk mixture, whisking continuously. Cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, until the custard thickens to a pudding-like consistency.
- Add Chocolate and Butter: Remove the custard from heat and stir in chopped chocolate, butter, and vanilla extract until melted and smooth.
- Fill and Chill the Pies: Pour the chocolate filling into the cooled pie crusts. Let them sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours until set.
Notes
- For best results, ensure the butter for the crust is very cold to create a flaky texture.
- If the custard starts to curdle during tempering, remove from heat immediately and whisk vigorously.
- You can substitute pie weights with dried beans or rice during blind baking.
- Chocolate pies can be garnished with whipped cream and chocolate shavings or a light dusting of cocoa powder for an elegant presentation.
- Pie crust dough can be prepared a day ahead and kept refrigerated or frozen for convenience.
