11/29/10

Emeril's Vintage Chocolate Pie





Thanksgiving. Started out with a warning about the "Blizzard 2010" aka Stormageddon. It was, as Grant stated: a big "Nothing Burger". We all ran for the grocery stores, stocked up (as if we didn't already have enough in our homes to keep a family of 10 fed till Christmas). Filled our gas tanks. Businesses closed. Universities cancelled classes (unheard of in the Beehive state). We all cozied up. Waited. And waited. Nothing. A bit of cold weather, but a BLIZZARD? My friend KD's kids were actually mad at HER when the snow didn't come. Whiff. On to the next event. Thanksgiving. Here's how the rest of the looong weekend played out:
Birthdaycakepiepiepie:applecranberrykeylimetwokindsochocolateblueberrysweetpotatopecanfriendsfriendsfriendsfamfamfamturkeyturkeyhamsausagestuffingcornbreadstuffingveggiesdip
mashedpotatoesgravyrollsrollsrollscranberrysauceorangecranchutneypearpecansaladdixiepomegranitesaladtofuturkeyfoveganfammembersbroccolicasserolecornbutterbuttermorebutterjamwhippingcreamicecreamyamstalktobrookieonSKYPEmorebcake6morepiespopcornsodachocolatepancakeshashbrownsomletsbiscuitsgravycabinsnowsnowsnowshoeingleftoversleftoverspizzaUTAH/byugame(17to16!!)hotchocolateburgersfriesswisssteakriceCaesarsaladbrownieshotfudgemoreicecream.DietCoke.
Kind of makes you want to go on a fast.
While our Thanksgiving dinner lineup is fairly traditional, (we tend to stick to the same recipes year after year bc we all like it that way) I do venture out and try at least one new pie recipe each year. This year the newbie was Emeril's Vintage Chocolate Pie.
Amazingly smooth dark chocolate-custard texture. The crust is not a traditional flaky pie crust or the expected chocolate cookie crumb crust- but a mixture of graham and chocolate with our best friend, BUTTER, and Butter's bff: Sugar.
Start the fast next Sunday = )





Emeril's Vintage Chocolate Pie
Emeril Lagasse, 2000


1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 cups heavy cream
3/4 cups buttermilk
3 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
Pinch salt
4 egg yolks
2 1/2 ounces Hawaiian Vintage Chocolate, or other good quality semisweet chocolate
1 tablespoons butter
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 (9-inch) Chocolate Cookie Crust, baked, recipe follows

Prepare crust first, let cool completely while preparing filling.

In a small saucepan combine the sugar, heavy cream, buttermilk, cornstarch and pinch of salt, and whisk until smooth. Place over medium-high heat, and bring to a boil, whisking from time to time, for the sugar and cornstarch to dissolve and the mixture to thicken, about 5 minutes. Continue cooking at a low boil for an additional 5 minutes, whisking constantly.

In a mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks lightly. Pour 1/2 cup of the hot mixture into the egg yolks and whisk thoroughly. Pour the egg yolk mixture into the saucepan and whisk over the heat into thoroughly combined, about 30 seconds. Pour the mixture into a mixing bowl, and whisk in the chocolate, butter and vanilla. Continue whisking until thoroughly combined (mixture will be very thick).

Pour the chocolate batter into the prepared pie crust and refrigerate until firm and cool, at least 4 hours.

Chocolate Graham Cookie Crust:
2 cups graham cracker cookie crumbs
1 1/2 cups Oreo cookie crumbs (white centers removed)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In the bowl of a food processor or blender, process the graham crackers and Oreos to make crumbs.
In a bowl mix together the cookie crumbs, sugar and butter with your hands. Press the mixture evenly into a 9-inch pie pan. (It will seem like an excessive amount of crumbs, but it will compress down quite a bit with pressure.) Cover the crust with plastic wrap and top with another 9-inch pan, pressing quite firmly to make a smooth surface. Bake the crust for 15 minutes.
Remove the crust from the oven and let cool completely before filling.

Tips:
-I made the cookie crust as directed, but did not remove the white filling from the Oreos. Next time, I will half the cookie crust recipe. There were way too many crumbs for the crust. Even after pressing down, I had more than enough for another whole 9 inch tin.
-Make sure to measure your tin, anything larger than a 9 inch tin will be too big for the amount of filling.
-I used Baker's Semisweet chocolate.
-A few of the reviews on FN were written by peeps who used store bought crust.
My 2 cents: The crust if half of what sets this recipe apart. Take the extra 3 minutes, and make your own. Well worth it.

6 comments:

  1. Boy was the blizzard a bust!!! Harldy had any snow and now wind here by the U. This pie looks great. Chocolate is my husband's favorite. My fridge is finally getting a bit cleaner (I may just chuck it all).

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  2. I just really love this post. I just do.

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  3. ok. i just can't look at blogs anymore. seriously, this looks too wonderful!

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  4. a) this looks delicious. it's torture really.
    b) i laughed my whole way through your narration of your long weekend. too funny. :)
    c) YUM.

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  5. Since I have leftover cream in my fridge, I think I'm going to have to make this pie for dinner tonight!

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