French Silk Chocolate Pie

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS This prize-wining icebox pie with a sophisticated name originally called for raw eggs. Testing showed that we could cook the eggs with sugar on the stovetop, almost like making a custard. Once the egg and sugar mixture was light and thick, we removed it from the heat and continued whipping it until it was fully cooled. Bittersweet chocolate folded into the cooled egg and sugar mixture made for a pie with more intense chocolate flavor. And to lighten the filling’s texture, we incorporated whipped cream. See the sidebars that follow the recipe.

SERVES 8 TO 10

You can use Classic Single-Crust Pie Dough or No-Fear Single-Crust Pie Dough for this pie. Serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream.

1

recipe single-crust pie dough, fitted into 9-inch pie plate and chilled

1

cup heavy cream, chilled

3

large eggs

¾

cup (5¼ ounces) sugar

2

tablespoons water

8

ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled

1

tablespoon vanilla extract

8

tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces and softened

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line chilled crust with double layer of aluminum foil and fill with pie weights. Bake until pie dough looks dry and is light in color, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove weights and foil and continue to bake crust until deep golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes longer. Let crust cool on wire rack to room temperature.

2. Using stand mixer fitted with whisk, whip cream on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to high and whip until stiff peaks form, 1 to 3 minutes. Transfer whipped cream to small bowl and refrigerate.

3. Combine eggs, sugar, and water in large heatproof bowl set over medium saucepan filled with ½ inch barely simmering water (don’t let bowl touch water). Using hand-held mixer set at medium speed, beat egg mixture until thickened and registers 160 degrees, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove bowl from heat and continue to beat egg mixture until fluffy and cooled to room temperature, about 8 minutes.

4. Add chocolate and vanilla to cooled egg mixture and beat until incorporated. Beat in butter, few pieces at a time, until well combined. Using spatula, fold in whipped cream until no streaks of white remain. Scrape filling into pie shell and refrigerate until set, at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours. Serve.