Chocolate Silk Pie

This lovely recipe comes from one of my favorite cookbooks, Pie by Ken Haedrich. This pie takes the terms "rich and decadent" to the extreme! It's exactly the kind of dessert that would make any Valentine's dinner special.  The texture hovers somewhere between fluffy and creamy, which is why this type of pie is referred to as "Silk" or "Satin". 

Tips:

A stand mixer works best for this recipe because of the amount of time spent mixing, but any electric mixer is fine.

If you taste it before ALL the ingredients are added, you may notice a grittiness to it.  Don't worry this should go away after the eggs and vanilla are added. It tastes best after it's chilled as well, so don't be discouraged if you don't totally love the flavor when it's still in the bowl.

Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl periodically. If you don't, it may not set up correctly and some of the ingredients may not get blended in properly (you don't want a spot of unsweetened chocolate in the middle of the pie).

If you wish to use bittersweet chocolate, reduce the amount of sugar to about 3/4 a cup.

Whipped cream really helps to cut the richness of this dessert and compliments it well. I suggest using it if you can.

1 9 inch Graham cracker crust

3 ozs unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 1/4 cups sugar

3 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler. Remove from heat and let chocolate cool, set aside.

Using an electric mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter until creamy (about 2 minutes). Gradually add the sugar and continue to beat until the mixture is light and fluffy (about 5 minutes), scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add in the melted chocolate and beat just until incorporated (about 30 seconds). Add the eggs, one at a time, beating on medium speed for 4 minutes after each addition (12 minutes total), scraping down the sides intermittently. Add in the vanilla and beat for 15 seconds. The mixture should be light and creamy, resembling a chocolate buttercream frosting.

Add the chocolate mixture to the Graham cracker crust, cover loosely and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight. Serve with a garnish of whipped cream as desired.

Chopped Chocolate