In addition to the Sweet Potato Pie I made for Thanksgiving this year, I also made a rich, chocolate-filled pie that was a real crowd-pleaser.
I actually had some of the filling set aside from another baking session when I prepared a Bourbon Bacon Pecan Pie. I grabbed the wrong ingredient list and had already combined the first four dry ingredients before realizing the mix wasn’t for that pie. I saved the blend in a bag and used it later for this chocolate cream pie.
This pie is straightforward to assemble, although you do need to allow time for the chocolate filling to chill and set. That makes it ideal for holiday planning — I made the pie on Wednesday and finished the whipped cream the next afternoon.
The orange-zested whipped cream brightens the dessert and complements the deep chocolate flavor. My family loved it — the orange really comes through and cuts the richness in a lovely way.
I used 2% milk instead of whole milk since that’s what I typically keep on hand, and it worked well in the recipe. For a finishing touch, I added orange peel curls on top, which gave the pie a beautiful presentation.
Chocolate Cream Pie with Orange Zested Whipped Cream
Teeny’s Tour of Pie – Teeny Lamothe
Prep time: 30 minutes
Chill time: 4 hours
Total time: 4 hours 30 minutes
Makes: One 9-inch single-crust pie (6 to 8 slices) or four 5-inch single-crust teeny pies
Ingredients:
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons packed cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups milk (I used 2% with good results)
- ½ cup heavy (whipping) cream
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 prebaked 9-inch Buttery All-Purpose Crust (recipe follows)
- Orange Zested Whipped Cream, for topping (recipe follows)
Directions:
- Whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch, and salt in a large saucepan until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the milk, cream, and egg yolks until smooth. Pour this mixture into the saucepan and whisk until it resembles frothy chocolate milk.
- Place the saucepan over medium heat and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture reaches a low simmer and starts to thicken, about 8 minutes. Continue whisking and cooking, scraping the bottom of the pan to prevent scorching, until it comes to a boil, about 5 minutes more. Let it boil for one full minute while whisking constantly, then remove from heat immediately.
- Add the chocolate chips to the hot chocolate cream and whisk until fully melted and the mixture is smooth.
- Pour the filling into the prebaked crust. While still hot, cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours.
- Before serving, remove the plastic wrap and top with the orange-zested whipped cream. Serve cold.
Buttery All-Purpose Crust
Prep time: 15 minutes
Chill time: 1 hour (or up to 2 days if preferred)
Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Makes: One 9-inch double crust or four 5-inch double crusts
Ingredients:
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
- ¼ cup (4 tablespoons) cold vegetable shortening
- ¼ cup (4 tablespoons) cold vodka
- 6 tablespoons cold water, plus extra as needed
Directions:
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, and sugar. Add the butter and shortening and cut them into the dry ingredients with a pastry cutter until pea-size crumbs form and are coated in flour.
- Drizzle the vodka over the mixture a few tablespoons at a time, pressing the dough together with a rubber spatula. Add the water the same way until the dough forms a large ball. The dough should be somewhat wet and tacky; add extra ice water, a tablespoon at a time, only if necessary. Handle the dough minimally to avoid a tough crust.
- Divide the dough into two equal portions, press each into a 1-inch disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days before rolling out.
Orange Zested Whipped Cream
Prep time: 5 to 10 minutes
Total time: 5 to 10 minutes
Makes: about 2 cups
Ingredients:
- 1 cup heavy (whipping) cream
- 3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1–2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest
Directions:
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or using a handheld electric mixer, beat the cream, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and orange zest on high speed until the mixture doubles in volume and holds stiff peaks, about 3 minutes. Watch carefully to avoid overwhipping and turning the cream into butter.
Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars