Alyssa’s Diner-Style Chocolate Pie

Posted: July 25th, 2010 | Filed under: Pie | Tags: , , | 1 Comment »

I know that I went on and on about the amazing pie at Royer’s Round Top Cafe… but here is the truth. They were missing one thing. Nowhere on the menu is chocolate pie. Now they do have a stellar chocolate chip pie (which I fully intend on recreating) but no chocolate pie. And I’m sorry, but chocolate pie is delicious, and essential. Now you all know how much I love the cookbook by the Baked boys, and I’ve been wanting to make the “diner-style chocolate pie” for way too long. A little while back posed the perfect situation for such a thing to happen. I had made a quiche for dinner and in doing so I made homemade pie crusts. I only used one for the quiche, and I really don’t like freezing them, so I thought to myself… “Self, what do you want to do with that pie crust in there?” It was already late, and I didn’t want to run to the grocery store, so I popped open a few cook books and lo and behold, there it was, a very tasty chocolate pie. Now chocolate I definitely had on hand. Plenty of it. And all of the other needed ingredients. So with a few tweaks and changes, there it was, a lovely chocolate pie covered in whipped cream and sitting in a beautiful butter pie crust.

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I made a scalloped edged pie crust, it was really pretty, I’m not going to lie. And I chose to go with out any chocolate malt, and instead use unsweetened dark chocolate.

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We shared it with friends – it was amazing.

Alyssa’s Diner Style Chocolate Pie

adapted from Baked


FOR THE CRUST

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon ice water

FOR THE FILLING

1/2 cup sugar

3 tablespoons chocolate malt Ovaltine

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup cornstarch

5 large egg yolks

2 cups whole milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

5 ounces dark chocolate (60 to 70 percent cacao), coarsely chopped

2 teaspoons whiskey

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

FOR SERVING

2 c heavy whipping cream

1/4 c confectioners sugar

2 tbsp vanilla extract

Make the crust: Pulse flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor until combined. Add butter, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some larger pieces remaining, about 5 seconds. Make one large dough disk and refrigerate for 1 hour or over night. Roll the crust out to 1/4 inch or so thick. Trim or fold under edges and scallop edges if you please. Line the inside with parchment paper and use pie weights to keep bubbles from forming. Bake at 350 for 20-30 min, or until golden brown. Take out and let cool to room temperature.

Drizzle water evenly over mixture. Pulse until mixture just begins to hold together, about 10 seconds. (Dough should not be wet or sticky.) Press dough into 1 large disk (for mini pies) or 2 small disks (for large pie), and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour or overnight.

Make the filling: In a medium saucepan, whisk together sugar, Ovaltine, salt, and cornstarch. Add egg yolks and whisk until combined; mixture will look like a thick paste. Slowly pour in milk and cream, whisking constantly. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly; let boil for 30 seconds and immediately remove from heat.

Add chocolate, whiskey, and vanilla; whisk until well combined and mixture has cooled slightly. Let stand, at room temperature, for 15 minutes. If a thin skin forms on the filling while cooling, whisk until skin is gone. Remove pie crust from freezer and pour filling into the crust. Refrigerate for 4 hours before serving.

For the whipped cream: In a cold mixing bowl beat whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla together until soft peaks form. Spread on top of the pie.

Serve to friends, or just eat it yourself. Either works!