You don’t need much skill to make this pie, which is simply melted chocolate blended with whipped cream and scooped into either a crumb or coconut crust. Folding the cream and chocolate together just partially gives the filling a mottled, tweedy appearance, and the finished pie looks like a lot more work than it really is. Given the amounts of chocolate and cream, this really has quite a light texture.
Makes one 9-inch pie
Crumb Crust for a 9-inch pie shell, made with chocolate wafers (page 32), or Toasted Coconut Crust for a 9-inch pie shell (page 34)
2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate morsels
1¼ cups heavy (whipping) cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Whipped Cream (page 39), for topping
Form and bake the crust as directed in the recipe. Cool completely before filling.
Fill a large saucepan about halfway with water, then place over moderate heat. Pour the chocolate morsels into a glass or metal bowl that can be set comfortably inside the rim of the saucepan. When the water is quite hot, but not simmering, set the bowl of chocolate in it. Stir constantly for 2 to 3 minutes, until the chocolate is mostly melted. Remove the bowl from the water and continue stirring until the chocolate is smooth. Set aside for about 15 minutes, stirring 2 or 3 times, until the chocolate feels cool, not warm, to your finger, but is still soft and workable.
In a medium bowl, whip the cream with the vanilla and salt until it forms soft peaks. Pour the chocolate mixture over the cream and, with a rubber spatula or a big wooden spoon, fold them together quickly but gently for a few seconds, so there are streaks of dark and white and flecks of chocolate. Pour the mixture into the prepared crust and spread it evenly. Chill for at least 2 hours.
Before serving, prepare the whipped cream for the topping and spread it over the pie.