Happy New Year to you and yours! Hope you were able to rejuvenate and reconnect with your loved ones this holiday season, and are ready for a fabulous 2014! This Midnight Pie was one of my adventures while I was home for the holidays, and I can vouch first-hand that it falls under the must-try category.
The back story: I made two of these pies, one for my family on Christmas Eve, and one to bring to the boyfriend’s family on Christmas Day. However in the rush to pack for a week’s worth of post-Christmas traveling, I forgot what I was most excited about (the pies). My recovery efforts yielded a third pie, made at midnight on Christmas Eve, hence the name.
Fantastic news: all three pies were ravenously consumed and proved an incredible hit. Aside from the unbeatable richness, the greatest part about the pie is how easy it is to make. The chocolate-infused crust is a cinch to prepare and it’s the only component that actually requires baking, making the overall assembly process super quick as well. Recipe below, so dig in, friends!
What You’ll Need:
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
½ tsp. salt
½ cup butter, cut up
5 Tbsp. cold water
2 cups whipping cream
7 ounces 60%-70% dark or bittersweet chocolate, chopped or chips
1 cup granulated sugar
6 egg yolks, lightly beaten
3 Tbsp. brewed espresso or strong-brewed coffee
1 tsp. vanilla
Sweetened whipped cream
Directions:
1. For the Pie Crust: Combine flour, cocoa powder, brown sugar and salt in a food processor, just until fully mixed. Add butter in small increments, and process until the butter pieces are pea-sized. While processor is running, quickly add the water through the feed tube until dough comes together.
2. Gather mixture into a ball, and knead gently until dough holds together.
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough from center to edges into a 12-inch circle. Wrap around the rolling pin and unroll into a 9-inch glass pie plate. Using a fork, prick bottom and sides of the pastry, especially where the bottom and sides meet. Line the pie crust with two layers of aluminum foil.
4. Bake at 450° for 8 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 6-8 minutes until the pie crust is set and looks dry. Let cool.
5. For the filling: In a medium heavy saucepan, combine the whipping cream, chocolate and granulated sugar. Cook and stir over medium heat for about 10 minutes or until the mixture is fully melted and comes to a boil and thickens.
6. Gradually stir half the hot mixture into the egg yolks. Return egg yolk mixture to the saucepan. Cook and stir for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in espresso and vanilla. Let cool slightly, then pour the filling into the baked shell. Cover and chill for 8 to 24 hours, or until the filling is set.
7. Top each slice of pie with whipped cream. Enjoy!
Did you find the pies to live up to the delicious promise? Did your family and friends rave as much as ours did? Let us know your thoughts and any adjustments you made to the recipe!
By Laura Burke
