There are certain pies that ‘must’ be at my Thanksgiving table. Pumpkin pie (that’s a no brainer) and French Silk. This might not be your typical pie served, but it is so incredibly fabulous that I can’t imagine a turkey-day without it! The texture is heavenly and smooth and the richness of the chocolate and the whipping cream all melts in your mouth into one heavenly bite. Add the texture and flavor of the buttery crust and you have an irresistible combination. The only sad part about making this pie is it seems to disappear too quickly! I made this pie the other night and I saved the last (precious) piece in my fridge for breakfast the next morning (I told you it was good!). To my horror my 10 year old son woke up early, found the piece hiding in the back of the fridge, and ate it. AH! I swear he has mom-dessert radar. Hopefully he will think twice before he eats another one of my last morsels again. He got garbage and dish duty the entire day for that nasty trick he played on me! I guess I will have to make a pie all for myself again next week 😉
- 1 sheet refrigerated pie shell (or of course...make your own--here's my favorite recipe)
- 2/3 cup white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp. cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup semi sweet or dark chocolate chips
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup butter, softened
- 1 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream (1/2 for pie and 1/2 for topping)
- 2 Tbs. powdered sugar
- Real whipped cream and chocolate curls or pieces
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pie dough into a 8 inch circle. Transfer to a 7 inch pie plate and flute the edges. Poke the bottom of the crust with a fork a few times and bake at 400 degrees for 7-10 minutes, or until crust is lightly golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool until crust is no longer hot.
- In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, cocoa and eggs until well blended. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 160 degrees or it coats the back of a metal spoon and the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat. Stir in the chocolate and vanilla and mix until smooth. Cool to room temperature. In another bowl, cream the butter until it is light and fluffy. Add the cooled chocolate mixture and beat with an electric mixer on high speed for 5 minutes (or until the mixture is light and frothy). In another bowl, beat the whipping cream until it begins to thicken. Add the powdered sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold in half of the whipped cream into the cooled chocolate mixture. Once combined, pour the mixture into the cooled crust. Keep the remaining whipped cream in the fridge until ready to serve. Let the pie refrigerate for 5-6 hours or until totally firm. When ready to serve, spread the remaining whipping cream over the top of the pie. Garnish with chocolate curls or pieces of chocolate if desired. Keep cold until ready to serve.
