THE PERFECT PAIR:

Black Bottom Chocolate and Coffee Cream Pie

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY RENÉE KOHLMAN

If you’re lucky to have an old school diner in your town, you know all about the pies situated under glass domes. The fruit pies are typically crisscrossed with a lattice crust, while the coconut, chocolate, and banana cream are each heaped high with mounds of whipped cream.

Maybe there’s a lemon meringue, with torched pillows of fluff, or if you’re in a really old school diner, there may even be a Flapper Pie. My favourites have always been a tie between the cherry pie, a la mode, of course, and dreamy chocolate cream pie. My stash of frozen cherries has since been depleted so that pie has to wait until summer before it can be baked at home. But the chocolate cream pie is another story. With basic ingredients and an easy press-in chocolate cookie crust, this is a pie worth indulging in. And you don’t even have to leave your house!

Chocolate and coffee are best friends, and they work wonders together here. If you don’t find the combination particularly agreeable, then it’s fine to leave the espresso powder out of the filling and the topping. As I mentioned earlier, I used a basic chocolate cookie crust, but if you prefer to use a prebaked pastry shell, or even a graham cracker crust then that is fine too.

The filling is smooth and creamy and has a double dose of chocolate thanks to the cocoa powder and chopped dark chocolate chunks. This is a great chocolate pudding that would be lovely just on its own and tastes miles ahead of anything out of a box. It’s rich but not terribly sweet, and the espresso enhances the chocolate in a very delicious way. Of course you can’t have a chocolate cream pie without the swoops and swirls of a whipped cream topping! I like to mound it in the centre of the pie then use a soup spoon to create the decorative touches. If you have chocolate curls or shavings on hand you can use these as a garnish. Toasted almonds, sprinkles or even mini chocolate chipsthe sky’s the limit!

Black Bottom Chocolate and Coffee Cream Pie

Serves 8

Crust:

2¼ cups (560 mL) chocolate cookie crumbs

½ cup (125 mL) butter, melted 1/3 cup granulated sugar

Filling:

2/3 cup granulated sugar

¼ cup cornstarch

2 Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder

2 Tbs espresso powder

Pinch salt

6 large egg yolks, at room temperature

2 cups (500 mL) whole milk

½ cup (125 mL) whipping cream

180 g dark chocolate, chopped into small chunks

1 Tbs butter

1 Tbs (15 mL) vanilla bean paste or extract

Topping:

2 cups (500 mL) whipping cream

2 Tbs icing sugar

1 Tbs espresso powder

1 Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla extract

Garnish: chocolate shavings, curls, or mini chocolate chips

1. To make the crust: Preheat the oven to 350º F. Lightly grease a 25 cm (10-inch) deep-dish pie pan.

2. In a medium bowl, stir together the chocolate cookie crumbs, melted butter and sugar. The mixture should feel like damp sand and hold together in your hands when you squeeze it together. If it seems too dry, add a few drops of water to the mix. Press this mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pie pan. Bake for 12-15 minutes until set. Let cool completely. This step can be done up to one day ahead.

3. When the crust has cooled completely, pop it into the freezer while you prepare the filling.

4. To make the filling: In a heavy bottomed medium saucepan off the heat, whisk together the granulated sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and salt. Whisk in the egg yolks until this forms a thick paste. Whisk in the milk, then the cream. Turn the heat to medium-high and whisk until the mixture thickens, about 8-10 minutes, then boil for 1 minute.

5. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the chocolate chunks. Whisk until very smooth, then whisk in the butter and vanilla. Cool for 5 minutes, whisking occasionally.

6. Pour the chocolate mixture into the frozen crust. Cover the top with plastic wrap and press down so the wrap is touching the surface of the filling. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

7. Before serving, make the topping: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whip attachment (or use a handheld mixer with beaters), beat the whipping cream, icing sugar, espresso powder, cocoa powder and vanilla together until stiff peaks form. Remove the plastic wrap from the top of the pie. Heap the espresso whipped cream on top of the pie, and use a soup spoon to make swoops and swirls. Garnish with chocolate shavings, curls, or mini chocolate chips, if desired. Slice and serve. Can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Renée Kohlman is a busy food writer and recipe developer living in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Her second cookbook, ‘Vegetables: A Love Story” has just been published.