Apple pie. Pumpkin pie. Pecan Pie. These are the pies most people associate with Thanksgiving. But this year, I wanted to cater to my son-in-law, who never met a fruit he liked, especially not in a dessert. In fact, if chocolate is not one of the ingredients, he doesn’t consider it to be a dessert. So, I broke one of my rules, and I experimented on my guests. I figured that with two cups of semi-sweet chocolate, a cup and a half of heavy cream, and five egg yolks, the filling would have to be delicious. And I was right.
A chocolate pie is something I never make for myself. In fact, I can’t remember when I last made a chocolate pie. But a friend had brought one to a potluck, and I could almost eat it. Yes, “almost” because it had milk chocolate, and I can’t eat milk, though I can have cream. So I tinkered with a crust recipe from another pie, and voila—a chocolate pie for Thanksgiving.
Sorghum Flour Pressed Pie Crust
1 cup sorghum flour
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup walnuts, pulverized in a blender
1 tablespoon sugar (optional)
2 tablespoons cold water
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Pulverize walnuts in a blender. Add remaining ingredients and pulse until mixed. Press (do not roll) into a 9-inch pie plate. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees (convection oven, 325 degrees for 12-15 minutes). Cool. Refrigerate and fill with chocolate filling or any precooked or cold filling of your choice.
Melt-in-Your-Mouth Chocolate Pie Filling
5 egg yolks (reserve whites for other recipes)
2 cups (12 oz.) gluten-free chocolate chips (I like Enjoy Life® brand)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract or other flavoring (hazelnut, mint, etc.)
1 and 1/2 cups heavy cream (plus up to 3 more tablespoons, if needed)
1 sorghum crust (or other gluten-free baked or no-bake crust, such as crushed cookies with butter, or almond meal, sugar, and butter)
Place egg yolks, chocolate chips, vanilla, and other flavoring in blender. Process on low for about one minute. Add up to 3 tablespoons of heavy cream if needed to blend properly.
In a small pot, heat cream over medium heat, watching so that it just comes to a boil. Do not scorch. Immediately pour into blender, holding top on while you mix on high setting for at least one minute; this is necessary to cook the egg yolks. Pour chocolate mixture into prepared and chilled crust. Cover with foil, stretching to make sure foil does not contact pie surface, and place in refrigerator. Must set for three hours or more. Yield: 10-12 slices. Can be frozen. (To defrost, preferably, remove from freezer and place in refrigerator the day before eating, or remove single slice from freezer and defrost for about one hour without refrigeration. Does not microwave well.)
Serving suggestion: Place sliced strawberries on slices, or drizzle with raspberry sauce.
***
This pie was a real crowd pleaser, with the chocoholics ecstatic and my four-year-old grandson repeating, “I’m hungry,” after he ate his two small slices. I was glad to be able to give portions to my family to take home and still be able to keep a few pieces for myself. Rich, creamy, and the perfect end to a great dinner—you’ll want to make this pie for your next holiday meal.
A chocolate pie is something I never make for myself. In fact, I can’t remember when I last made a chocolate pie. But a friend had brought one to a potluck, and I could almost eat it. Yes, “almost” because it had milk chocolate, and I can’t eat milk, though I can have cream. So I tinkered with a crust recipe from another pie, and voila—a chocolate pie for Thanksgiving.
Sorghum Flour Pressed Pie Crust
1 cup sorghum flour
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup walnuts, pulverized in a blender
1 tablespoon sugar (optional)
2 tablespoons cold water
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Pulverize walnuts in a blender. Add remaining ingredients and pulse until mixed. Press (do not roll) into a 9-inch pie plate. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees (convection oven, 325 degrees for 12-15 minutes). Cool. Refrigerate and fill with chocolate filling or any precooked or cold filling of your choice.
Melt-in-Your-Mouth Chocolate Pie Filling
5 egg yolks (reserve whites for other recipes)
2 cups (12 oz.) gluten-free chocolate chips (I like Enjoy Life® brand)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract or other flavoring (hazelnut, mint, etc.)
1 and 1/2 cups heavy cream (plus up to 3 more tablespoons, if needed)
1 sorghum crust (or other gluten-free baked or no-bake crust, such as crushed cookies with butter, or almond meal, sugar, and butter)
Place egg yolks, chocolate chips, vanilla, and other flavoring in blender. Process on low for about one minute. Add up to 3 tablespoons of heavy cream if needed to blend properly.
In a small pot, heat cream over medium heat, watching so that it just comes to a boil. Do not scorch. Immediately pour into blender, holding top on while you mix on high setting for at least one minute; this is necessary to cook the egg yolks. Pour chocolate mixture into prepared and chilled crust. Cover with foil, stretching to make sure foil does not contact pie surface, and place in refrigerator. Must set for three hours or more. Yield: 10-12 slices. Can be frozen. (To defrost, preferably, remove from freezer and place in refrigerator the day before eating, or remove single slice from freezer and defrost for about one hour without refrigeration. Does not microwave well.)
Serving suggestion: Place sliced strawberries on slices, or drizzle with raspberry sauce.
***
This pie was a real crowd pleaser, with the chocoholics ecstatic and my four-year-old grandson repeating, “I’m hungry,” after he ate his two small slices. I was glad to be able to give portions to my family to take home and still be able to keep a few pieces for myself. Rich, creamy, and the perfect end to a great dinner—you’ll want to make this pie for your next holiday meal.
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