PIE #6 - SUPREME CHOCOLATE CREAM

My pie theme for February will be chocolate in honor of Valentine's Day, the holiday of love, and everyone loves chocolate. Americans certainly do as they spend upwards of $345 million a year in Valentine chocolate candy and consume 10-12 pounds of chocolate annually. Interestingly, 75% of chocolate purchases are made by women throughout the year, but during the days right before Valentine's Day, 75% of chocolate purchases are made by men.

My husband is most definitely part of that percentage as he has made many a Valentine's Day mad dash to buy roses and the requisite chocolate that I so adore. I've been accused of marrying Joe just because of his chocolatey sounding last name. Maybe so, but I do know that chocolate runs thickly through his family veins. His grandfather opened a confectionery business in Louisiana and changed the family name from Coca to Coco, all for the love of chocolate.

So in celebration of my sweet married name and to tickle the taste buds of my chocolate-loving hubby, I have made a chocolate cream pie. This pie also happens to be one of the custard variations in Miss Miranda's 1974 cooking class packet, the mimeographed one I featured in a previous blog. Miss Miranda's recipe calls for 2 ounces of chocolate. Other recipes I've seen call for 3 ounces of chocolate. But any Coco worth their name knows that when it comes to chocolate, more is better. My recipe boasts 3.5 ounces of chocolate. You can use any unsweetened chocolate, but if you really want to go for the gusto, use a 3.5 ounce bar of Lindt Excellence 90% Cocoa Supreme Dark Chocolate.

Lindt, by the way, is a famous Swiss chocolate brand. The Swiss consume twice as much chocolate as Americans, and I can attest to that when a few years ago while visiting Lucerne, Switzerland, I was astounded that an entire grocery store aisle was devoted to chocolate alone. I walked up and down that aisle, marveling at the chocolate variety which had a strong Lindt presence. I guess you could call me a Swiss Miss Coco. And is it not a coincidence that my name, Linda Coco, is just one letter off from Lindt Coco?

Things that make you go hmmmm.....

SUPREME CHOCOLATE CREAM PIE

Crust:
3 cups Oreo cookies (about 20 cookies)
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2-3 teaspoons milk

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine the Oreo cookies and cinnamon in a ziploc bag and crush with rolling pin to make fine crumbs. Transfer the crumbs to a large bowl. Add the butter and mix well. Add the milk and mix until crumbs clump together when pressed between your fingers. Transfer the crumbs to a 9 1/2 inch deep dish pie pan, pressing them into the bottom and halfway up the side. Refrigerate for 10 minutes, then place on the center rack of oven and bake for 6 minutes. Cool thoroughly.

Filling:
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups whole milk
4 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3.5 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped OR 3.5 ounce Lindt 90% Cocoa Bar

Topping:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar
Chocolate sprinkles or Oreo cookie crumbs, optional

Combine the granulated sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium-size heavy saucepan. Whisk to mix thoroughly. Whisk in milk and egg yolks. Place over medium heat and cook, whisking continuously, until it start to boil and thicken, 5-7 minutes. Cook for 1 minute more, whisking briskly. Remove from heat and whisk in butter and the vanilla. Whisk in the chocolate until smooth and fully melted. Slowly pour the filling into the cooled pie shell and smooth the top with a spoon. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly over the filling to prevent a skin from forming. Cool the pie to room temperature then refrigerate for at least 5 hours or overnight.

Just before serving, make the topping. Using a chilled mixer bowl and chilled beaters, beat the cream with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Add the confectioner's sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Spread the whipped cream over the pie. Garnish with chocolate sprinkles or Oreo crumbs, if desired.