When we got married, we had wedding pie instead of cake, I had no real preference, Andy was all about the pies - apple and cherry. So when people ask about my favorite pie, if strawberries aren't around, it's always French Silk. But a good French Silk is hard to find. Baker Square has ruined me and closed most of their stores! I saw this recipe with the Oreo crust and decided I needed to try it, but I doubled it and put it in a sheet pan for a dinner we went to at our pastor's house. The crust was not the easiest to cut through so some people seemed to miss it when they served themselves some. But we've been enjoying all the left overs we brought home. I would absolutely make this again. It does not have raw eggs so people who are weirded out by that, shouldn't be with this recipe. Sure you have to cook them a little and not scramble them, but you can do hard things. Heck if you want to feed a crowd - double that bad boy up in a sheet pan and have a giant pie! More pie for all! That sounds like a great campaign slogan. I'd vote for me!
French Silk Pie
For the Crust:
18 Oreo cookies with the filling
3 tablespoon melted butter
For the Filling:
4 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon espresso powder (optional)
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate or extra dark 85% chocolate (I like this one), finely chopped
½ cup unsalted butter
1 cup 35% heavy whipping cream
For the Topping:
1 cup 35% heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
chocolate curls for topping
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9-inch deep pie dish with cooking spray or brush lightly with melted butter.
Make the crust. Place Oreo cookies in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Add in the melted butter and pulse until moistened. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pie dish. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until fragrant and set. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
Make the filling. First combine chopped chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and set it over a saucepan with 1-inch of simmering water. Stir until melted and smooth. You can melt it in the microwave while stopping to stir after every 20 seconds. Set it aside to cool.
Bring a small pot filled with 1 inch of water to a simmer over medium heat. In a heat-proof bowl, combine eggs with half of the sugar (½ cup or 100g) and whisk to blend well. Place the bowl over the pot so it rests on top and make sure the bottom doesn't touch the water (the bowl should be large enough to rest on top of the pot). Whisk constantly while over the heat until the mixture reaches 165 degrees F on a digital thermometer. It will feel very warm to the touch and completely smooth when rubbed between your fingers so that you don't feel any grit from the sugar.
Remove the bowl from over the heat and place it on a tea towel. Beat the egg mixture on high speed while gradually adding the remaining ½ cup of sugar, and continue to beat until very pale, thick and tripled in volume (ribbon stage). This will take 3-5 minutes. Mix in espresso powder if you're using it. Add the cooled chocolate mixture and vanilla extract, then gently whisk until it in. It will thicken as you stir, turning into a pudding-like consistency. Let it cool for about 30 minutes while stirring occasionally until the mixture doesn't feel warm but isn't solidified. It needs to cool enough so that it doesn't deflate the whipped cream.
Pour cream into a clean bowl and start beating on medium speed until it thickens, then increase speed and beat until it forms soft peaks. Fold the whipped cream gently into the whipped chocolate mixture in 2 or 3 stages until no white streaks remain. I usually fold in one third of the cream to lighten and loosen the chocolate mixture, then I fold in the rest.
Pour this luscious chocolate mixture into the cooled crust. Place it in the fridge and let it set for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours. If chilling for more than 4 hours before serving, cover loosely with foil.
Make the topping. Pour cream into a clean bowl and beat on medium speed until thickened. Then, sift in the powdered sugar and beat until soft peaks form. Spoon the whipped cream on top of the chilled pie and top with dark chocolate curls.

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