Peach's Pie

My friend Peach from Canada recently shared a recipe for a chocolate pie of sorts.  I needed a quick dessert tonight, so why not:

Click to enlarge, of course.  The napkin is there because it seemed to fix the crappy white balance for the iPhone I used for the picture.  Sure would have been nice if I'd thought to take that picture before we started scarfing it.  :)

I made a 10" version of the recipe because I had a 10" vessel.  I also made a few other adjustments, but here's the basic recipe as I got it:

Chocolate Lovers’ Pie

Makes one 9” pie.

Servings:  Last time I made this, I cut it into 14 pieces and no one complained.  There were no leftovers, either.

This is an old recipe from Fry’s Cocoa.  For those not familiar, it’s basic grocery store cocoa.  I’ve made it only with Fry’s, but I lost the recipe for years and have since discovered the darker, richer and more decadent “dutch” cocoa, which I use exclusively now.  I just found this recipe again and I want to make it, but it is so rich when made with Fry’s that I’m concerned my beloved dutch cocoa would make it positively explosive.  Then again, I’m willing to throw myself on that grenade.  (Just in case I chicken out, I have some grocery store cocoa on hand.)

** Cocoa Nut Pie Shell -- makes one 9”/1 L pie shell

3/4 cup (175 mL) icing sugar
1/3 cup (75 mL) cocoa
1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
1/3 cup (75 mL) butter
1 cup (250 mL) finely chopped toasted nuts

1.    Sift together icing sugar, cocoa and salt.
2.    Melt butter in a saucepan.  Cook until bubbly.  Remove from heat.
3.    Blend in cocoa mixture.  Stir in nuts.
4.    Press into 9”/1 L pie plate.  Chill.

** Filling

1 envelope unflavoured gelatin
3 Tbsp (45 mL) cold water
2 Tbsp (30 mL) instant coffee granules
1/4 cup (50 mL) boiling water
1 cup (250 mL) sugar
1/2 cup (125 mL) cocoa
2 cups (500 mL) whipping cream
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla

1.    Sprinkle gelatin over cold water. Let stand 5 minutes to soften.
2.    Add coffee granules and boiling water to gelatin. Stir until dissolved. Cool.
3.    In another bowl, combine sugar and cocoa. Stir in cream and vanilla.
4.    Whip cream mixture until softly stiff.
5.    Slowly beat in gelatin mixture to whipped cream mixture.
6.    Spoon into Cocoa Nut Pie Shell. Chill.

Cut this pie into as many pieces as you can manage. Loosen belts a notch. Enjoy pie.

Comments

[Pam]

This pie looks absolutely yummy. I'm definitely going to try this one. Thanks Joe!!

Pam

[Joe Eater]

Pam -- It was pretty good. The "crust" was a bit gloppier than I expected, but I doctored it a bit, smeared it in the pie plate, and let it firm up before pouring in the filling. It doesn't release like a pie crust from the plate, but that's ok.

Next time I think I want to try cooking the cocoa before adding it to see if I can get even more chocolate flavor. :)

[Joe Eater]

FWIW, this seems to hold up really well in the refrigerator. So don't feel obligated to eat the whole thing in one sitting. ;)