His & Hers Pies
Chocolate Silk Pie
Serves 8, yields one 9” pie
This is actually two desserts in one. The pudding recipe can stand on its own and be served in dessert coupes or ramekins. Or make the pudding and fill a pie shell to construct this fabulous pie. Either way, it’s a win.
1 pre-baked pie shell, homemade or store-bought cooled
Pudding
1 1⁄2 c milk
3⁄4 c heavy cream
3⁄4 c sugar
3 T cocoa powder
1⁄4 c cornstarch
3 eggs
1⁄2 t salt
1 t vanilla
3 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small chunks
2 T unsalted butter
Whipped Cream
1 1⁄2 c heavy cream
1 T confectioners sugar
1 t vanilla
Heat milk and heavy cream over medium heat. Meanwhile, mix sugar, cornstarch, and cocoa in another bowl. Add eggs and salt to the sugar mix and whisk. Once the milk is hot and there are bubbles around the edge of the pan, temper the egg mix by adding about a half cup of hot milk to the eggs, stirring. Add another 1⁄2 cup of milk, stirring, then pour the entire mixture back into the pan. Cook over medium heat, whisking frequently, until pudding thickens and one or two bubbles appear on the surface. Add the chocolate and butter and whisk until melted and smooth. Remove pudding from the heat. Immediately strain into a heat proof bowl. Stir in vanilla. Pour pudding into the pie crust and smooth the top. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
Whip cream with confectioners sugar and vanilla in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Spread cream over chilled pie. Garnish with chocolate shavings.
Pear Apple Almond Pie
Serves 8, yields one 9” pie
This attractive pie filled with pears, apples, and a little bit of almond paste is hard to resist. Serve generous slices with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
1⁄2 recipe Perfect Dough for Pie, cold
3 firm-ripe pears, peeled cored, cut into 1⁄8 th’s and each 1⁄8 th cut into 3 chunks
2 large apples, peeled cored, cut into 1⁄8 th’s and each 1⁄8 th cut into 3 chunks
1-2 T almond paste (if you really like almond flavor use 2 tablespoons)
1⁄2 c sugar
1 t lemon zest
1 T cornstarch
2 T flour
Preheat oven to 375.
Roll pie dough on a lightly floured surface to a 12” diameter circle about 1⁄8” thick. Roll the dough around the rolling pin to pick it up off the work surface and fit it into a 9” round pie dish. Trim excess overhang with scissors, leaving a 1⁄2” border overhanging the sides of the pie dish. Gently turn this excess under, making the edges of the crust thicker than the sides and bottom. Crimp edge decoratively, or use the tines of a fork to make an indented design all the way around. Transfer the crust to the freezer while you prepare the filling.
In a medium bowl, combine pears and apples with sugar, zest, cornstarch, and flour and stir gently with a spatula to combine. Break up the almond paste with your hands into small pieces and fold it into the pear apple mixture (it’s ok if almond paste is a little chunky).
To assemble pie, remove pie shell from the freezer and pile the pear/apple/almond mixture into the pie shell. Place the pie dish on a sheet pan to catch drips. Bake for 60-75 minutes until the fruit is bubbling and tender (test with a paring knife) and the crust is golden brown. Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool for at least 45 minutes. Pie is best served at room temperature so the filling has time to set.
Perfect Dough for Pies
Makes two 9-inch pie crusts
Make this dough ahead of time, wrap in plastic and refrigerate up to 2 days, or freeze for 2 months. I always make a double recipe and freeze one.
3 c (450g) unbleached all-purpose flour
2 T sugar (optional)
1 t kosher salt
2 sticks + 5 T (300g) unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
About 2⁄3 c (150g) ice water
Place flour, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut the butter into the flour. You can also use a food processor to cut butter into flour, but be careful not to over process. Seeing small chunks of butter throughout the dough is good.
Sprinkle ice water, a little at a time, over the mixture, stirring to work in the water. You want the dough to hold together, but not be too wet. Transfer to a floured work surface and gather the dough together to form a ball. You’ll need a bit more dough for the bottom crust, so I estimate 2⁄3 for bottom crust, and about 1⁄3 for the top crust. Flatten into two disks, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using.
Blind bake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll the pie crust out into a 12 inch circle. Roll the crust over the rolling pin and transfer the crust to a 9” pie plate. Use your fingers to crimp edges, making a decorative edge around the perimeter of the pie crust at the top of the plate. Press the crust down against the top of the plate a little. Dock the bottom of the crust using a fork or the point of a knife. Place the pie crust in the freezer for 15-30 minutes. Line the crust with parchment paper then fill with beans or pastry weights. Bake 20 minutes. Remove parchment and beans/weights, poke holes in the bottom of the crust if it’s puffing up. Bake for another 10-15 minutes until light golden and fully cooked. Remove from the oven to cool.