I first posted this French Silk Pie recipe back in the dark ages of 2008, and it remains one of my all-time favorite desserts of all time. I realize that was redundant. But I had to drive home the point, man.
Since I first posted it so very long ago, I thought I’d repost it with updated photos.
This photo is from 2008. I sincerely hope this gives anyone who might be wanting to pursue food photography extreme hope! Ha.
Anyway, the pie photos on this post were taken in 2012. But aside from updated photos, I also wanted to include a few bolded, bullet-pointed tips to make sure your pie turns out just swell.
Here’s how to make it.
First, nuke the chocolate and stir it till it’s smooth and melted. Then let it cool completely.
* The chocolate must be cooled completely but still melted/stirrable.
Place an unbaked pie crust in a pie pan (this is a storebought crust. Scandal!) Ruffle or crimp the edges, then place a piece of parchment in the center and pour beans in the center. This will weigh down the crust when it bakes and keep it from shrinking in the pan.
* After you bake the crust, allow it to cool completely.
* I often use graham cracker or Oreo crust when I make French Silk Pie. It’s delicious and easy!
Whip together the butter and sugar until it’s very light and fluffy. Scrape the sides a couple of times, beating after each scrape.
* Beat the butter and sugar until it’s very fluffy, scraping the sides as you go.
Once the butter/sugar mixture is light and fluffy, turn the mixer on low and slowly drizzle in the melted chocolate until it’s all incorporated. Scrape the sides and mix a couple of times to make sure it’s all combined.
* Remember, it’s very important that the chocolate is no longer warm; if it is, it will affect the mixture adversely and your life will be ruined.
Once the chocolate is totally mixed in, mix in vanilla.
When you’re finished mixing it at this stage, it should be chocolatey and a bit grainy from the sugar.
* Make sure to scrape the bowl well to make sure all the chocolate, butter, and sugar are totally mixed together.
Now comes the fun part! With the mixer on medium speed, you’re going to crack in 4 eggs over a 20 minute period—exactly 5 minutes apart for each egg. So crack in an egg, let it mix for 5 minutes, then crack in the next egg.
* Allow it to mix 5 minutes after each egg addition.
* Stop, turn off the mixer, and scrape before adding the third egg.
* This is best if the eggs are cold out of the fridge.
* Along those lines, if your kitchen is hot/humid, the mixture will not whip as well. If the mixture ever seems to be loose or runny halfway through, stop and stick the bowl in the freezer for 5-10 minutes then resume.
* Note that the eggs in this pie are uncooked. On a personal level, I am generally not concerned about the risk from raw eggs, which is evidently quite low. But for those who are very old, very young, pregnant, or have a compromised immune system, it is generally recommended that uncooked eggs be avoided.
When you’re finished, the mixture should be light and beautifully silky.
Plop it into the baked (and cooled!) pie crust and even out the surface.
After this, the pie needs to be refrigerated so that it will firm up to the point that you can slice it into neat pieces. While delicious, if you try to cut the pie into slices at this stage, it’s too soft and will be messy.
* It’s very important at this stage to lick the bowl. It’s way too delicious to pass up.
On the show, I covered the whole surface with whipped cream. For this one, I just did a big pile in the middle, then topped with chocolate curls. I actually chilled it with the whipped cream on top so it would all be really cold.
And there you go. Absolutely dreamy. Absolutely divine. One of the best chocolate experiences you’ll ever have in your life.
Here’s the printable!
Recipe
Delicious Chocolate Pie
- Prep Time:
- Cook Time:
- Difficulty:
- Easy
- Servings:
- 8
Ingredients
- 4 ounces, weight Unsweetened Baking Chocolate
- 1 cup Salted Butter, Softened
- 1-1/2 cup Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 4 whole Eggs
- 1 package Baked Pie Shell
Preparation Instructions
In small microwave safe bowl melt 4 ounces of unsweetened baking chocolate until stirrable (about 45 seconds on high). Set aside to cool.In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat 1 cup (2 sticks) of regular (salted) butter and 1 ½ cups of white sugar until fluffy (about 1 to 2 minutes). When melted chocolate is cooled, drizzle it over the butter/sugar mixture. Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Beat the mixture thoroughly until combined (on a Kitchen Aid mixer, you will be using the whisk attachment).Turn your mixer to a medium speed and over a period of 15 to 20 minutes add in the four eggs, one at a time, leaving about 5 minutes between each egg addition. Once the pie filling is well mixed, pour it into the baked pie shell, scraping every last speck of it out of the bowl. Smooth out the pie filling and place pie in the refrigerator to chill for at least two hours (preferably longer).Plop a heap of whipped cream and garnish with a few chocolate curls if you’re feeling sassy.
