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{VIDEO} Chocolate Cream Pie

Welcome back to PIE WEEK, where every day this week I'm sharing a new pie video! Today we are making the best easy chocolate cream pie.



If you love this recipe, you are going to love the rest of my Pie Week videos, so be sure to check those out too just in time for the holidays! I am going to be sharing everything from THE BEST Easy All-Butter Pie Crust, to how to make fun and amazing Decorative Pie Crust Designs, my fave Cherry Pie with Braided Lattice TopPumpkin Pie with Pie Crust LeavesTHE BEST Apple Pie with Pie Crust RosesTHE BEST Lemon Meringue Pie with Ruffled Pie Crust and THE BEST Chocolate Cream Pie, just in time for the holidays! 



You know I couldn't get through pie week, without sneaking something chocolate into the mix. So for all you chocolate lovers, like me, don't worry, I got you. This is the most creamy, dreamy chocolate dessert ever, you will never say no to pie again after trying this.




This chocolate cream filling is so silky and rich, it just melts on your tongue, and is just the perfect combination of crispy, buttery crust, creamy filling. It's topped with sweetened whipped cream, gorgeous chocolate flakes and little pie crust hearts to finish it off.





I made my favorite, super simple buttery pie crust recipe to kick off pie week, because you can do it in advance and just pop it in the fridge or freezer until you're ready to make your pie, but you can use store bought pie crust if you want, which tends to be easier for making decorations to top your pie with.



You can customize the chocolate filling, by using bittersweet, semisweet, milk chocolate, or any combination, I just think semisweet is the prefect amount of sweetness and rich chocolate flavor.





We're topping the pie with sweet vanilla whipped cream, that takes like 5 minutes to whip up, it's so easy, but you can also just use a tub of whipped topping if you want a little shortcut.



If you guys give this a try be sure to tag me in a picture on social media @LindsayAnnBakes! 


The best part about this pie it, the crust, the filling and the whipped cream can all be made in advance, then you can just put it all together the day you're going to be serving it, so it's a perfect make-ahead recipe. 



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Chocolate Cream Pie


Yield: One 9" pie; serves 8

Ingredients
  • 9" Pie Crust, Homemade or Store Bought 
  • 3 large egg yolks 
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar 
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch 
  • 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, dutch processed or dark 
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt 
  • 3 cups half and half 
  • 8 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (chips or chopped) 
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 
  • egg wash: 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk or cream 
Whipped Cream Topping:
  • 2 cups heavy cream 
  • 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar 
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
  • 4 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, curled or shaved, for garnish


Directions

Crust:
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Press pie dough into the bottom and up the sides of a 9" pie dish. Flute edges of pie dough with your fingers. Place in the freezer for at least 20 minutes, while the oven preheats (this helps ensure the crust does not slide down the sides during baking).

Once chilled, line your pie dough with parchment paper and fill with pie weights, dried rice, or dried beans. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the pie from the oven, and lift out the parchment and weights. Prick the bottom of the crust all over with a fork, to release steam, so it doesn't bubble up. To create a golden flaky layer on your pie crust, brush egg wash over the top of the crust and the with a pastry brush.  Tent the edges of the pie with aluminum foil if the edges from getting too brown.Bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, until the crust is golden all over. Cool completely before filling. 

Cut out 8 small and 8 large hearts from excess pie dough with a small cookie cutter. Brush with egg wash and bake 5-10 minutes until golden. Let cool and drizzle with melted chocolate. Use extra chocolate to pipe chocolate hearts onto parchment or wax paper and let set in the fridge.

Filling:
Place egg yolks in a medium heatproof bowl, gently whisk and set aside.

Whisk together sugar, cornstarch, cocoa and salt in a saucepan. Stir in half and half until smooth. Add chocolate. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

Gradually pour about 1 cup of chocolate mixture into egg yolks to heat/temper them, whisking constantly, so the eggs do not cook. Whisk egg yolk mixture back into saucepan, and bring back to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in butter and vanilla extract.

Pour mixture into a bowl and press a piece of saran wrap directly over surface of the filling to prevent a skin from forming and let cool while you prepare your whipped cream.

Topping:
Chill metal mixing bowl in the freezer for 5-10 minutes. Using an electric hand mixer, or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip together the cream, sugar and vanilla starting on low and increasing to high speed, until fluffy, stiff peaks form. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a star tip. 

Assemble:
Transfer the cooled filling to the cooled, baked pie crust and smooth the top. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours or overnight to thicken and set up. Pipe swirls of the vanilla whipped cream around the edge of the pie. Slide a vegetable peeler across the long edge of a bar of semisweet or milk chocolate that is at room temperature to create chocolate curls to put on top. Pipe swirls of whipped cream on top and garnish with pie crust hearts. Place chocolate hearts in the center and finish swirls with chocolate shavings. Chill pie in the fridge until ready to serve.