Recipe: French Silk Chocolate Pie

Based on a February 2009 recipe from Cook's Country. Prepared for dinner on March 10, 2013 and February 19, 2012.

Ingredients

1 cup chilled heavy cream
3 large eggs
¾ cup sugar
2 tablespoons water
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 9-inch pie shell

Instructions

1. Bake and cool a pie shell.
2. Break the chocolate into pieces, carefully heat it in the microwave until just melted, then set it aside to cool.
3. Whip the cream to stiff peaks using a hand mixer (you'll be using this a lot), 2-3 minutes on medium-high. Chill the whipped cream in the refrigerator until needed.
4. Cut the butter into ½-inch pieces and soften, either at room temperature or, if necessary, by gently warming in the microwave.
5. Set a large heat-proof bowl in a medium sauce pan of barely simmering water; don't let the bowl touch the water.
6. Combine eggs, sugar, and water and beat with an electric mixer until thickened and the temperature is 160°, 7-10 minutes.
7. Remove bowl from heat and continue to beat until fluffy and cooled to room temperature, about 8 minutes.
8. Add the vanilla and chocolate to the cooled egg mixture and beat until incorporated.
9. Add the butter, a few pieces at a time, and beat until well combined.
10. Fold the whipped cream into the mixture.
11. Scrape the filling into the pie crust and refrigerate until set, about 3 hours, before serving.

Melt the chocolate.

Whip the cream.

In a pan set over barely simmering water, beat the egg, sugar, and water mixture until it reaches 160°.

Continue beating off heat until it cools to room temperature.

Add the vanilla and chocolate and beat to incorporate.

Beat in softened butter.

Fold in whipped cream.

 

Add the pudding to the pie shell and refrigerate until set.