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π Day Pie #3 – Mexican Hot Chocolate Pie with Churro(ish) Crust
Image by djwtwo
I’ve been celebrating Pi Day with my daughters for quite a few years, and with this year being a “high precision” Pi Day (at 9:26:53am, the date and time in US ordering correspond to the first 10 digits of π, 3.141592653…), and it being my 10th anniversary at work at a company with “Math” right there in the company name I couldn’t not make a few punny pies. Unfortunately, my girls were off to Boston for the day (learning some elementary programming), so it was just me solo in the kitchen (not that they minded coming home to homemade pies.)
I made 4 pies this year; the two I’m posting today I only finished up this morning, as I was letting their respective fillings set up overnight before adding their toppings. I usually bake two kinds of pies for Pi Day: pies with geeky Pi puns (yesterday’s pies are both in this category), and pies that are recipes I’m experimenting with. This pie is the latter, and is inspired by spiced Mexican hot chocolate. One part of the experiment failed: for the “churro” crust, I actually wanted a deep-fried crust. My experimental technique (shape and dock the crust, freeze it solid, then unmold it from the pan and drop it hot oil while trying to hold it down with a perforated disposable aluminum pie plate, in hopes of using the dough’s attempt to float to force it to hold its shape) didn’t work, and I ended up with a very shallow, not-very-pie-like shell. I have another alternate technique I’m considering that might work, but that’ll have to wait for next time.
Shot with my Nikon D7000 w/35mm ƒ/1.8 prime, 1/4s @ ƒ/5.6, ISO100. I had natural light to work with for a change, coming in from a window camera left, with a little fill added with a white reflector on the right. Color finishing in Aperture.
Ingredients
for the crust
crust for 1-crust pie (use your favorite recipe or a decent store-bought crust; this is a simple 3:2:1 flour:fat:liquid by-weight ratio crust with a little sugar and salt added)
1 tbl. melted butter
cinnamon sugar
for the filling
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
1 c. heavy cream, cold
3 large eggs
3/4 c. sugar
2 tbl. water
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tbl. vanilla extract
8 tbl. unsalted butter, cut into 1/2” pieces and softened
for the topping
1 c. heavy cream, cold
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
cinnamon
Directions
Line a pie plate with the crust, crimp the edges, dock it with a fork, and refrigerate the crust for at least 30 minutes. Line the crust with foil and pie weights (or dry beans) and parbake it for 15-20 minutes at 350°F. Remove the pie weights and foil and continue baking until golden brown, another 5-10 minutes. While still warm, brush crimped edge and interior of the crust with the melted butter, and dust thoroughly with cinnamon sugar. Set aside while you prepare the filling.
Whip the heavy cream with a mixer to stiff peaks. Set aside in the refrigerator while you continue work on the filling.
Set a medium bowl over a saucepan of water. Set over low heat (you want the water to be just barely simmering). In the bowl, combine the eggs, water, sugar, and half of the spices, and mix continuously with a hand mixer at medium speed until the mixture is light and foamy and has come to a temperature of 160°F (this will take 6 to 10 minutes.) Remove from the heat and continue to mix at medium speed until it cools to room temperature, another 8 to 10 minutes. Add the melted chocolate and remaining spices and mix to combine thoroughly. Fold in the whipped heavy cream with a spatula just until no streaks remain. Pour the mixture into your prepared pie shell, smooth out the surface, then put in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight, to set.
To top, whip the cream, sugar, and vanilla together to firm peaks. Top the pie with the whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon when serving.
Stylz 1065
Image by Yelp.com