Chocolate Cream Pie

From Once Upon a Chef

Chocolate Cream Pie

By Jennifer Segal, inspired by Gourmet

Servings: 8-10

Ingredients

For the Crust

• 28 Nabisco Chocolate Wafers (or 1-1/2 cups finely crushed crumbs)*
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

For the Filling

• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 large egg yolks
• 3 cups whole milk
• 5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, best quality such as Ghirardelli
• 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, best quality such as Ghirardelli
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Topping

• 3/4 cup chilled heavy whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 ounce bittersweet chocolate, grated or shaved

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Make the filling: Combine the sugar, cornstarch and salt in a heavy medium saucepan. Whisk gently until combined. In a bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the milk and egg yolks. Add the milk mixture to the saucepan in a slow and steady stream, whisking until the mixture is smooth. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture starts to bubble and thicken, 6-8 minutes. Immediately turn the heat down to a simmer and cook, whisking constantly, for one minute more until thick. (The constant stirring and low heat prevents the eggs from scrambling. Be sure to stand attentively at stove and keep scraping the whisk against the bottom and edges of the pan where the mixture is more likely to overheat.) Off the heat, immediately whisk in the chopped chocolate, butter and vanilla extract. Transfer the filling to a bowl. Press a piece of saran wrap directly over surface of the filling to prevent a film from forming; refrigerate until cool, 1-2 hours.
3. Make the crust: Combine the chocolate wafers, sugar and butter in bowl of food processor fitted with the blade attachment and pulse until the cookies are finely crushed. Press the mixture firmly into a 9-inch pie pan (spread it with your hands first, then use the back of a spoon or bottom of a measuring cup to press and even out). Bake for 10 minutes until crisp. Set on a rack to cool completely.
4. Once the filling and crust are cooled, spoon the filling into the crust and spread evenly. Cover with saran wrap, pressing directly against surface of filling, and chill for at least 6 hours or up to one day.
5. Up to 3 hours before serving, make the topping: Place the heavy cream in chilled mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, whip on medium-low speed until the whisk or beaters begin to leave tracks in the cream. Add sugar and whip until the cream holds medium, silky peaks. Go slowly towards the end; if it gets grainy or curdled, you’ve gone too far. Spread the whipped cream over the filling, leaving some of the chocolate filling showing around the edges. Sprinkle with the grated chocolate and refrigerate until ready to serve.
6. *Nabisco cookies available in the cookie aisle at most major supermarkets. Sometimes they can be hard to spot. At my local Giant, they’re on the top shelf near the Oreos.