Senior editor Keith Pandolfi’s mom, Ellendean, would occasionally surprise him with this creamy chocolate pie when he came home from school, then watch as he devoured a quarter of it while watching “M*A*S*H” reruns.
Ingredients
- 1 1⁄2 cups flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 7 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1⁄4 cup ice-cold water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1⁄3 cup cornstarch
- 1⁄2 tsp. salt
- 4 egg yolks
- 3 cups milk
- 2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped, plus shaved for garnish
- 3 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 cup heavy cream
Instructions
Step 1
Pulse flour, salt, and butter in a food processor into pea-size crumbles. Add water; pulse until dough comes together. Roll dough into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap; chill 1 hour.
Step 2
On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 12″ round. Fit into a 9″ pie plate. Trim edges and crimp; chill for 30 minutes.
Step 3
Heat oven to 375°. Using a fork, prick the dough all over. Line dough with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans; bake until golden, about 20 minutes. Remove paper and weights and bake until cooked through, about 5 minutes more; let cool.
Step 4
Beat sugar, cornstarch, salt, and egg yolks in a bowl and set aside. Heat milk over medium-high heat until bubbles form around the edge. Slowly add in egg mixture, whisking constantly until thick, 4–5 minutes. Remove from heat and add in chocolate and vanilla; stir until chocolate has melted and incorporated. Pour into prepared pie shell and cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface; refrigerate until firm, 4–6 hours.
Step 5
Whip cream until stiff peaks form. Remove plastic wrap from pie and cover with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.