I’m not bragging, but this is one unforgettable chocolate cream pie

The flavours are so complex and it isn’t your typical chocolate cream pie by any means.

Most of the food I make has been inspired by the restaurants I visit. And rightly so! Isn't it ideal when you recreate something you had at a restaurant and make it even better?

I have had chocolate cream pie quite a few times, but all were, for lack of a better word, forgettable. None have stood out until I indulged in this one at a gastropub in Pasadena. The flavours were so complex and it wasn’t your typical chocolate cream pie by any means. So when I sought out to replicate the dessert at home, I went with my gut feeling. And I am completely bragging here, but this is every bit as delicious as the one I had, if not more.

The chocolate custard is mildly sweet and rich and is definitely the star of the pie that I made using a graham cracker crust. The whipped cream is not optional. It’s a must! It adds a cool, sweet, fluffy touch to the whole affair, so do not skip out or skimp on it. You will absolutely love this!


Ingredients:

Crust:

Graham cracker crumbs – 1½ cups (20 graham crackers pulsed)

Sugar – 3 tbsp

Unsalted butter – 6 tbsp (melted)

Chocolate custard:

Whole milk – 2 cups

Sugar – ½ cup

Cocoa powder – ¼ cup

Semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips – ¼ cup

Cinnamon powder – ¼ tsp

Coffee granules – ¾ tsp

Egg yolks – 3

Cornstarch (cornflour) – 4 tbsp

Vanilla extract – 1 tsp

Whipped Cream topping:

Whipped cream – ½ cup

Sugar – 3 tbsp

Instructions:

Crust:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit.

2. To make the graham cracker crust, pulse 20 graham crackers and add them directly to an 8x8 square baking pan along with the sugar, and mix. (You don’t need to grease the pan.)

3. Into the crumbs, pour melted butter and mix until the crumbs are moist.

4. Using the back of a spoon, press the crumbs into the pan really well.

5. Bake for five minutes, then set aside to cool.

Chocolate custard:

1. Heat up milk, sugar, cocoa powder, chocolate chips, cinnamon and coffee granules in a saucepan on medium heat and bring to a gentle simmer. Do not boil.

2. While the mixture is warming up, separate egg yolks from the whites in a bowl. (We will only use the yolks. Make an egg white omelette with the leftover whites. I made it!)

3. Into the yolks, add cornstarch and mix until it looks like a thick paste.

4. Now very slowly, pour a bit of the hot chocolate liquid into the egg mixture while whisking it. This method is called tempering. If you don’t have someone to help you pour the liquid, use a spoon. Just make sure not to pour too much at one time because it will cook the eggs. We want to ‘introduce’ the hot liquid and temper the eggs. Once you have added a good amount, then you can pour the liquid more quickly. Pour at least half of the liquid into the eggs.

5. Pour the egg mixture back into the chocolate mixture and put the saucepan back onto the burner. (Watch how I do this in my video).

6. Turn the flame on to low and whisk the custard until it thickens up and looks glossy. This may take about five to seven minutes. Keep an eye out because once the custard starts to get thick, it will stick to the bottom if left unattended.

7. Once the custard is really thick, remove the saucepan from the stove.

8. Next, add vanilla and continue whisking for at least a minute.

9. Pour the custard on the graham cracker crust. Cover with cling wrap and let it cool on the countertop before sticking it in the refrigerator for about an hour.

10. While the pie is chilling, whip up your whipped cream along with sugar on high speed for about six to seven minutes or until the cream gets stiff peaks.

11. Run a knife under hot water, wipe dry with a cloth and cut the pie into squares.

12. Finally, pipe/spoon the whipped cream on top, garnish with chocolate shavings and dig in!





This post originally appeared here.