ATK Chocolate Cream Pie

NOTES:

1. Oreo cookie crust - look to the original recipe online

2. Amounts for half-recipe are in parentheses.

3. If there's no unsweetened chocolate (Cook's Illustrated recommends Hershey's baking bar), it's okay to use a high-percent cocoa bittersweet chocolate/baking bar. (Liz used a 70% Divine Dark Chocolate bar and the taste was fine. She cut back on the sugar a tiny bit.)

4. The original recipe calls for the chocolate to be "finely chopped." But chocolate chips melted and blended just fine, so Liz would call that "coarsely chopped."

5. For a half recipe, a small saucepan worked just fine.

6. Instead of the Oreo pie crust that comes with the original (online) recipe, see about using Liz's easy pie crust.

INGREDIENTS:

Chocolate Cream Filling

2-1/2 cups Half-and-half (1-1/4 cups)
1/3 cup (2.5 oz) granulated sugar (1/6 cup; 1.25 oz)*

*For a full recipe, set aside approx. 3 Tbl; for the half recipe, set aside approx. 1-1/2 Tbl

a pinch of salt
2 Tbl cornstarch (1 Tbl)
6 large egg yolks at room temperature (3 yolks)
6 Tbl unsalted butter (cold), cut into 6 pieces (3 individual Tbl)
6 oz semisweet chocolate or bittersweet chocolate (3 oz)
1 oz unsweetened chocolate (1/2 oz)
1 tsp vanilla extract (1/2 tsp)

Whipped Cream Topping

1-1/2 cups heavy cream, cold (3/4 cup)
1-1/2 Tbl granulated sugar (3/4 Tbl)
1/2 tsp vanilla

INSTRUCTIONS:

For the crust:  
(NOTE: This hasn't been adapted to Liz's style of instructions. Plus, the ingredients for the crust are missing.)

1. Oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. In bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade, process cookies with 15 one-second pulses, then let machine run until crumbs are uniformly fine, about 15 seconds. (Alternatively, place cookies in large zipper-lock plastic bag and crush with rolling pin.) Transfer crumbs to medium bowl, drizzle with butter, and use fingers to combine until butter is evenly distributed.

2. Pour crumbs into 9-inch Pyrex pie plate. Following illustration below, press crumbs evenly onto bottom and up sides of pie plate. Refrigerate lined pie plate 20 minutes to firm crumbs, then bake until crumbs are fragrant and set, about 10 minutes. Cool on wire rack while preparing filling.


For the filling:

1. Chop the chocolates to about chip size.

2. Place the yolks in a medium bowl. Set aside.

3. In a small bowl, reserve 3 Tbl (1-1/2 Tbl) of the sugar and set aside.

4. In a second slightly larger bowl, mix remaining sugar with cornstarch. Set aside.

5. Sprinkle cornstarch mixture over the yolks and whisk until mixture is glossy and sugar has begun to dissolve, about 1 minute.  Scrape the sides of the bowl if necessary and set aside.

6. In a medium saucepan, bring half-and-half, salt and 3 Tbl sugar (1-1/2 Tbl) to a simmer over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon to dissolve the sugar.

7. While the half-and-half mixture is heating, whisk yolks thoroughly until slightly thickened, about 30 seconds.

8. When half-and-half reaches full simmer, using a ladle, drizzle about 1/2 cup (1/4 cup) of the heated half-and-half mixture over yolks, whisking constantly to temper; then whisk egg yolk mixture back into simmering half-and-half (mixture should thicken in about 30 seconds).

9. Return to simmer, whisking constantly only about 15 seconds longer, until 3 or 4 bubbles burst on the surface and mixture is thickened and glossy.  Remove from heat.

10. Off heat, whisk in each Tbl of butter individually until incorporated; then add the next Tbl.

11. Working quickly, add chocolates and whisk until melted, then scrap the bottom of the pan with rubber spatula to fully incorporate.

12. Stir in vanilla, then immediately pour filling into baked and cooled crust.

13. Press plastic wrap directly on surface of filling and refrigerate pie until filling is cold and firm, about 3 hours.


For the Topping: 

1.  Just before serving, beat cream, sugar, and vanilla in bowl of standing mixer on low speed until small bubbles form, about 30 seconds.

2. Increase speed to medium; continue beating until beaters leave a trail, about 30 seconds more.

3. Increase speed to high; continue beating until cream is smooth, thick, and nearly doubled in volume and forms soft peaks, about 20 seconds.

4. Spread or pipe whipped cream over chilled pie filling. Cut pie into wedges and serve.