Ann's October Pie - Chocolate Satin

As Listle mentioned in her last post, I do accuse her of making chocolate pies all the time, and I still think that she does. I know her better than she knows herself. But you may have noticed that I have not made a chocolate-based pie myself. I actually didn't think that I liked chocolate pie until I tried the one I made this month. I find most chocolate pies to taste sugary rather than chocolatey, and not even creamy the way mousse tastes. I don't see the point of wasting my eating opportunities on it. But then...but then....THIS pie came into my life. It completely changed my opinion of chocolate pie. This recipe came from my friend Mormon Sandicraft, and so now I have another reason to think she's awesome. Plus, it's so crazy easy to make.

Basically, for this pie, you make a dark chocolate mousse and refridgerate it in a pie shell. You can use a regular pastry shell or a graham cracker crust, but I had some almond meal I was trying to use up, so I found a recipe for a nut pastry dough that makes enough for two shells. (I took the other pie to a work party, and I now have a gaggle of devoted pie followers. Hee hee hee!) I enjoy making this pie because the combination of melting satiny chocolate and folding it into fluffy egg whites is always completely satisfying to me.

To make my pie fun and Halloweeny, I decided to make it into a little graveyard, much like a pudding dessert that has little whipped cream ghosts and cookie gravestones and gummi worms that I used to see in womens' magazines when I was a little kid. I had several friends around for fun and funny Halloween night, so everyone got a personal grave with a few "RIP"s in there for good measure.

The decorating process - halved Milano cookies with piped frosting

Brilliance! I found a baggie of chopped almonds in my freezer and added those to give it another element.

I love how glossy and dark the finished pie becomes.

The Supreme Coordinatrix was in town to visit, so of course our night was extra fun.

I love this pie because it's rich and full of chocolate flavor, not just sweet - it has a slight bitter chocolate bite that is countered by the smoothness of the filling. The almonds in the crust and the garnish gave it a nice earthy taste, and I used orange-chocolate Milanos to give a bit of tartness. I can't recommend this pie enough, even without the Halloween accoutrements. I just love everything about it.

Sandicraft's Chocolate Satin Pie

1- 12 oz pkg of chocolate chips
¼ cup milk
¼ cup sugar
Pinch of salt
4 eggs separated
1 tsp vanilla
9” baked pie shell (or graham cracker crust)
Whipped cream
Add chocolate chips, milk, sugar and salt to a bowl and microwave at 50% power 1 min at a time to melt chocolate. Add egg yolks beating them in one at a time. Blend in vanilla. In a separate bowl add the egg whites and beat them until stiff. Gently fold egg whites into the chocolate mix. (Try to incorporate the egg whites without breaking them down - don't worry if the mixture looks kind of splotchy. It'll smooth out as it cools.) Pour into pie shell and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.

Nutty Pie Pastry - makes 2 pie shells

From Pie: 300 Tried-and-True Recipes for Delicious Homemade Pie by Ken Haerich

2/3 cup almond meal (or finely chop almonds in a food processor)

1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

2 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening, cut into pieces

About 5 tablespoons cold water

Combine the almond meal, sugar, flour, and salt into the bowl of a food processor and pulse to mix. Scatter the butter over the dry ingredients and pulse 4 or 5 times. Fluff the mixture with a fork, lifting it up from the bottom. Repeat the process with the shortening. Drizzle 3 tablespoons of water over the flour mixture and pulse 5 to 6 times, fluff again, and sprinkle on the rest of the water. Pulse a few more times, until the dough starts to form into clumps.

Form the pastry into 2 balls, flatten them to form 3/4-inch disks, and then wrap each disc in plastic. Refridgerate about 45 minutes. You can freeze one if making only one pie, or double the filling recipe to make two.

Take the chilled pastry out of the refridgerator and allow to soften for a few minutes. Roll out on a floured surface, then fit into a pie plate, and trim and form edge. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes. Prebake shell by putting a piece of aluminum foil to cover the pie shell, and fill with dried beans, rice, or pie weights. Bake for 15 minutes in a 400 degree oven. Remove the weights and foil, lower the temperature to 375 degrees, bake again for another 15 to 17 minutes. Check often for doneness and for puffing. Allow to cool completely before filling.