Basic French Silk Pie Recipes

FRENCH SILK PIE

Steps:

• I like to make sure my pie dough is prepared before I begin making this pie. Make pie dough the night before because it needs to chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before rolling out and blind baking (next step).
• On a floured work surface, roll out one of the discs of chilled dough (use the 2nd pie crust for another recipe!). Turn the dough about a quarter turn after every few rolls until you have a circle 12 inches in diameter. Carefully place the dough into a 9-inch pie dish. Tuck it in with your fingers, making sure it is completely smooth. To make a lovely thick edge, I do not trim excess dough around the edges. Instead, fold the excess dough back over the edge and use your hands to mold the edge into a nice thick rim around the pie. Crimp the edges with a fork or use your fingers to flute the edges. Carefully line the inside of the pie with two pieces of parchment paper or aluminum foil, as shown in the photos above, then pour in the pie weights. Make sure the weights are evenly distributed around the pie dish. Chill the dough in the refrigerator or freezer for at least 30 minutes- this helps prevent the crust from shrinking. (You can actually fill with pie weights before or after chilling, it doesn't make a difference.)
• Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).
• Bake the cold pie crust (with weights!) for 15 minutes. Remove pie from the oven and carefully lift the parchment paper/aluminum foil (with the weights) out of the pie. Prick all over the bottom of the pie crust with a fork, which is called "docking" the pie crust and helps prevent air bubbles. Brush the edges of the crust with egg wash. Return the crust to the oven and bake until golden brown, about 12-15 more minutes.
• Cool pie crust completely. You can do this up to 3 days ahead of time. Cover cooled crust tightly and refrigerate until ready to fill.
• Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 4 minutes. Stiff peaks hold their peak shape and do not droop. Set whipped cream in the refrigerator (covered or uncovered, doesn't matter) until step 8. Melt the semi-sweet chocolate. You can melt it in a double boiler or the microwave. If using the microwave: place the chopped chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl. Melt in 20 second increments in the microwave, stopping and stirring after each increment until completely melted and smooth. Set aside until the end of the next step.
• Whisk eggs and sugar together in a heatproof bowl or the top piece of a double boiler. Place over a pot of simmering water (or the bottom part of your double boiler) on medium heat. Do not let the surface of simmering water touch the bottom of the heatproof bowl. Whisking constantly, cook the egg mixture until it reaches 160°F (71°C) on an instant read thermometer, about 10-11 minutes. Do not stop whisking or the eggs may solidify. If the steam gets too hot over your hand, use an oven mitt. Carefully remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes. After cooling, slowly stir in the melted chocolate. To prevent curdling, cool for another 10 minutes before using in the next step.
• Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until creamy, about 1-2 minutes. Add the vanilla and beat on medium-high speed for 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl. With the mixer running on low speed, pour in the chocolate/egg mixture and then increase to medium-high speed and beat for 3 minutes. With a rubber spatula, fold in the whipped cream until combined.
• Spread filling into cooled pie crust. (A small offset spatula is helpful for this.) Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4-6 hours or overnight until chilled and thickened. Pie may be refrigerated for up to 2 days before serving.
• Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla extract on medium-high speed until medium peaks form, about 3-4 minutes. Medium peaks are between soft/loose peaks and stiff peaks and are the perfect consistency for topping and piping on desserts. Pipe or spread the whipped cream on top. Garnish with chocolate curls (see notes), if desired. Serve immediately or chill the pie uncovered up to a few hours.
• Cover leftovers and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

FRENCH SILK PIE

Steps:

• Cut pie crust in half. Repackage and refrigerate 1 half for another use. On a lightly floured surface, roll out remaining half into an 8-in. circle. Transfer to a 7-in. pie plate; flute edge., Line shell with a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Bake at 450° for 4 minutes. Remove foil; bake until crust is golden brown, about 2 minutes longer. Cool on a wire rack., In a small saucepan, combine sugar and eggs until well blended. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture reaches 160° and coats the back of a metal spoon. Remove from the heat. Stir in chocolate and vanilla until smooth. Cool to lukewarm (90°), stirring occasionally. , In a small bowl, cream butter until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add cooled chocolate mixture; beat on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. , In another large bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add confectioners' sugar; beat until stiff peaks form. Fold into chocolate mixture. , Pour into crust. Chill for at least 6 hours before serving. Garnish with whipped cream and chocolate curls if desired. Refrigerate leftovers.

FRENCH SILK PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Brush beaten egg over all surfaces of pie crust, including edges. Prick holes into the bottom and sides of the crust using a fork.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Combine sugar and 2 eggs in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir continuously, adjusting heat as needed to make sure mixture does not boil or bubble, until it coats the back of a spoon and an instant-read thermometer reads 160 degrees F (70 degrees C), about 10 minutes.
• Remove mixture from heat and stir in melted chocolate and vanilla extract; allow to cool to lukewarm temperature, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Beat butter in a separate large bowl using an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add chocolate mixture and continue to beat on high speed until thick and creamy, about 5 minutes.
• Beat cold heavy cream in a separate bowl until slightly thick. Add powdered sugar all at once and continue to beat on medium to medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold into chocolate mixture, stirring very gently as to not decrease the volume by stirring too much. Pour into the prepared pie crust and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving.

FRENCH SILK PIE

Steps:

• For the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Crush the crackers in a food processor or resealable bag. Pour them into a bowl and stir in the melted butter and sugar. Press into a pie pan and bake until golden and set, 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly.
• For the filling: In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt the baking chocolate until stirrable (about 45 seconds on high). Set aside to cool.
• It is important for the bowl and ingredients to be cold for the next stage of making the filling--to get the right texture and result. In a large chilled bowl with an electric mixer, beat the sugar and butter until fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes.
• When the melted chocolate is cooled, drizzle it over the butter/sugar mixture. Add the vanilla extract. Beat the mixture thoroughly until combined (on a stand mixer, you will be using the whisk attachment).
• Turn your mixer to a medium speed and over a period of 15 to 20 minutes, add in the 4 cold eggs, one at a time, leaving about 5 minutes between each egg addition. Once the pie filling is well mixed, pour it into the baked pie shell, scraping every last speck of it out of the bowl. Smooth out the pie filling and place the pie in the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours (preferably longer).
• For the topping: Add the heavy cream and sugar to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whip until it is stiff. Cover the pies with a thick layer of cream. Grate the semisweet chocolate over the top.

JEAN WEBSTER'S FRENCH SILK PIE

Steps:

• Make the crust: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 9-inch pie plate; set aside. Grind pecans in a food processor, or chop very finely with a knife. In a medium bowl, combine flour, pecans, sugar, and salt. Cut in cold butter with a pastry cutter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Press firmly into prepared pie plate. Bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
• Make the filling: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. With machine running, gradually add melted chocolate and the vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, beating at medium speed for five minutes after each addition. Pour filling into cooled pie crust. Cover with plastic wrap, and transfer to the refrigerator to cool for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
• Just before serving, top pie with whipped cream, and decorate with chocolate curls.

FRENCH SILK PIE

Steps:

• In medium bowl, mix flour and salt. Cut in shortening, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until particles are size of small peas. Sprinkle with cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and pastry almost cleans side of bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons more water can be added if necessary).
• Gather pastry into a ball. Shape into flattened round on lightly floured surface. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate about 45 minutes or until dough is firm and cold, yet pliable. This allows the shortening to become slightly firm, which helps make the baked pastry more flaky. If refrigerated longer, let pastry soften slightly before rolling.
• Heat oven to 475°F. With floured rolling pin, roll pastry into round 2 inches larger than upside-down 9-inch glass pie plate. Fold pastry into fourths; place in pie plate. Unfold and ease into plate, pressing firmly against bottom and side. Trim overhanging edge of pastry 1 inch from rim of pie plate. Fold and roll pastry under, even with plate; flute as desired. Prick bottom and side of pastry thoroughly with fork. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light brown; cool on cooling rack.
• In medium bowl, beat 1 cup granulated sugar and the butter with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla and the chocolate. Gradually beat in egg product on high speed until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Pour into pie crust. Refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours but no longer than 24 hours.
• In chilled medium bowl, beat whipping cream, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla with electric mixer on high speed until stiff. Top pie with whipped cream; garnish with chocolate curls.

FRENCH SILK CHOCOLATE PIE I

Steps:

• Cream butter in a mixing bowl. Gradually beat in the sugar with an electric mixer until light colored and well blended. Stir in the thoroughly cooled chocolate, and vanilla extract. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating 5 minutes on medium speed after each addition. Spoon the chocolate filling into a cooled, baked pie shell.
• Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

NO-BAKE FRENCH SILK PIE

Steps:

• In large bowl, mix cookie crumbs and melted butter until crumbs are moistened and coated with butter. Press mixture in bottom and up side of 9-inch pie plate. Refrigerate 10 minutes.
• In 1-quart saucepan, beat granulated sugar and eggs with whisk until blended. Cook over medium heat until instant-read thermometer reads 160°F. Mixture should thicken slightly and coat back of metal spoon.
• Remove from heat; stir in chocolate until melted and smooth. Cool slightly; mix in softened butter until well incorporated. Let cool until just warm; stir occasionally as it cools.
• In large bowl, beat whipping cream until it begins to thicken. Add powdered sugar; beat until stiff peaks form. Fold half of the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture; pour into chilled pie crust. Top center of pie with remaining whipped cream. Garnish with chocolate curls or chocolate shavings.
• Refrigerate until ready to serve. Cover and refrigerate leftovers.

BASIC FRENCH SILK PIE

Steps:

• Melt chocolate in a double boiler set over simmering water.
• Set aside to cool to thick but still liquid.
• Combine eggs and sugar in a double broiler until hot but not scrambled.
• Remove from heat.
• With a mixer beat the chocolate into the egg mixture, then beat in the cold butter.
• Beat for 15 minutes--yes 15 minutes--you wanted silk.
• Beat in vanilla and booze.
• Scrape the filling into the shell and chill in fridge for at least 3 hours.
• Serve with whipped cream.