Take the time to Watch This Recipe (link below). It's worth it!
French Silk Chocolate Pie
We
wanted a French Silk Pie recipe with ramped-up chocolate flavor that
didn’t call for raw eggs. Testing showed that only real eggs would do,
but rather than incorporate them raw, we cooked them with sugar on the
stovetop, almost like making a custard. Once the egg and sugar mixture
was light and thick, we removed it from the heat and continued whipping
it until it was fully cooked. Bittersweet chocolate folded into the
cooled egg and sugar mixture boosted the chocolate flavor. And to
lighten our French Silk Pie, we incorporated whipped cream into the
filling before spooning it into the pie shell.
Serves 8 to 10
You will need a fully baked pie shell for
this recipe. Use your favorite pie dough or use our No-Fear Pie Crust
recipe (related). Serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream.
Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy cream, chilled
- 3 large eggs
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and softened
- 1 (9-inch) pie shell, baked and cooled (see note)
- 1. Whip cream: With electric mixer on medium-high speed, whip cream to stiff peaks, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer whipped cream to small bowl and refrigerate.
- 2. Beat eggs: Combine eggs, sugar, and water in large heatproof bowl set over medium saucepan filled with ½ inch barely simmering water (don’t let bowl touch water). With electric mixer on medium speed, beat until egg mixture is thickened and registers 160 degrees, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove bowl from heat and continue to beat egg mixture until fluffy and cooled to room temperature, about 8 minutes.
- 3. Beat, fold, cool: Add chocolate and vanilla to cool egg mixture and beat until incorporated. Beat in butter, a few pieces at a time, until well combined. Using spatula, fold in whipped cream until no streaks of white remain. Scrape filling into pie shell and refrigerate until set, at least 3 hours and up to 24 hours. Serve.
Lemon Curd Cupcakes
Curd:
3 T. plus 1 1/2 t. sugar
3 T. fresh lemon juice
4 1/2 t. butter
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 t. grated lemon peel
Cupcake batter:
3/4 c. butter, softened
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla extract
1 t. grated lemon peel
1 1/2 c. cake flour
1/2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
2/3 c. buttermilk
Frosting: (we used fresh whipped cream with a little lemon juice and lemon peel. We extruded it through the tips I gave some of you for churros - zigzag cut 1/2 inch opening. Looked great. Garnished the cupcakes with lemon zest.
2 T. butter, softened
1/2 t. vanilla extract
pinch of salt
2 c. confectioner's sugar
2 to 4 T. milk
grated lemon peel, optional
Make the curd first. In heavy saucepan cook and stir sugar, lemon juice, and butter until smooth. Stir a small amount of hot mixture into egg; return all to pan. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring constantly; cook minutes longer or until thickened. Stir in lemon peel. Cool for 10 minutes. Cover and chill until thickened.
Cupcake batter: In large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one. Add vanilla and lemon peel. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk.
Fill paper-lined muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until middle springs back when touched lightly. (We made 24 cupcakes which were only 1/2 filled. Bake only 15 minutes or so.)
Cut a small hole in the ziplock bag; insert a small round pastry tip. Fill bag with lemon curd. Insert tip 1 inch into center of each cupcke; fill with curd just until tops of cupcakes begin to crack.
Frosting: Combine butter, vanilla, salt, and confection's sugar and enough milk to achieve frosting consistency. Frost cupcakes. Or whip heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add confectioner's sugar, and grated lemon peel. Lindzi added a bit of lemon juice as well. Pipe this on top of the cupcakes in a circular motion. They look fantastic - like Martha Stewart herself made them.
These cupcakes were delicious, especially with the lemon curd in the middle.