Chocolate Cashew And Maple Pie Recipes

CHOCOLATE, CASHEW, AND MAPLE PIE

Steps:

• Make crust:
• In food processor, pulse flour and salt until combined. Add butter and pulse just until mixture resembles coarse meal with some small (roughly pea-size) butter lumps. Drizzle 3 tablespoons ice water evenly over mixture and pulse or gently stir with fork until incorporated.
• Squeeze small handful of dough: If it doesn't hold together, add more ice water 1/2 tablespoon at a time, pulsing or stirring until incorporated. Do not overwork dough, or pastry will be tough.
• Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface, gather into ball, and flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill until firm, about 1 hour. (Dough can be made ahead and frozen up to 1 week. Defrost in refrigerator before proceeding.)
• On lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 12-inch round, then transfer to pie pan. Trim edge, leaving 1/2-inch overhang, then fold overhang under and crimp edge decoratively. Prick bottom and side of shell all over with fork, then chill shell 30 minutes. (Shell can be assembled to this point ahead: Wrap entire pan well in plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 2 days, or freeze up to 1 week. Defrost in refrigerator before continuing.)
• While shell chills, preheat oven to 425°F.
• Line shell with foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans, then bake until pastry is set and pale golden on rim, about 15 minutes. Carefully remove foil and weights and bake shell until pale golden all over, 5 to 7 minutes more. Cool on rack.
• Make filling and bake pie:
• In medium saucepan over moderately high heat, simmer maple syrup, uncovered, until reduced to 3/4 cup, about 10 minutes. Carefully whisk in butter (mixture may splatter), then sugar and salt. Remove from heat and let cool to warm room temperature.
• In medium bowl, whisk together eggs and brandy. Whisk egg mixture into cooled maple syrup mixture.
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Spread chopped chocolate in even layer over bottom of prepared crust. Sprinkle nuts in second even layer, then pour filling over nuts. Bake until filling is puffed and center is just set, 45 to 60 minutes. Cool in pan on rack. (Pie can be made up to 1 day ahead. Let cool, then cover loosely and store at room temperature.)
• To serve:
• Using electric mixer, beat crème fraîche until it holds soft peaks. Serve with pie.

CHOCOLATE-MAPLE PECAN PIE

Steps:

• Make the crust: Pulse the flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder and salt in a food processor. Pulse in 3 tablespoons butter until the mixture looks like cornmeal. Add the remaining 5 tablespoons butter and pulse into pea-size pieces. Pulse in the vodka until the dough clumps together but is still crumbly. If the dough is too dry, mix in the ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Turn out the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap; shape into a disk and wrap. Refrigerate until very firm, at least 2 hours or overnight.
• Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface into a 12-inch round. Transfer to a 9-inch pie plate. Fold the overhanging dough under itself and crimp the edges. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the crust with foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until the crust looks dry around the edges, about 20 minutes. Remove the foil and weights and bake until dry all over, 10 to 15 more minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.
• Make the filling: Whisk the melted butter, egg, flour and salt in a large bowl until smooth, then whisk in the maple syrup and heavy cream. Pour into the cooled crust and top with the pecans in a decorative pattern.
• Carefully cover the edges of the crust with foil. Bake until the filling is set, 55 to 65 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely, about 3 hours.

CHOCOLATE CASHEW PIE

Steps:

• Prepare pie crust for one-crust filled pie using 9-inch pie pan.
• Heat oven to 325 F.
• In large bowl, combine corn syrup, sugar, margarine, vanilla and eggs; beat with wire whisk until well blended.
• Reserve 2 tablespoons chocolate chips for topping.
• Stir in remaining chocolate chips and cashew halves.
• Spread evenly in crust-lined pan.
• Bake at 325 F.
• for 45 to 55 minutes or until pie is deep golden brown and filling is set.
• Cover edge of crust with strips of foil after 15 to 20 minutes of baking to prevent excessive browning.
• Cool 2 hours or until completely cooled.
• eanwhile, line cookie sheet with waxed paper.
• In small saucepan, melt reserved 2 tablespoons chocolate chips over low heat.
• Dip each whole cashew in chocolate.
• Place on lined cookie sheet.
• Refrigerate 15 to 20 minutes or until chocolate is set.
• Garnish pie with whipped cream and chocolate-dipped cashews.
• Store in refrigerator.
• To flavor whipped cream, fold in sweetened cocoa mix, grated citrus peel, spices or a favorite liqueur.

MAPLE SYRUP PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Press pie crust into an 8-inch pie dish.
• Mix maple syrup, brown sugar, evaporated milk, and eggs together in a bowl; pour into pie crust.
• Bake in the preheated oven until mostly set in the middle, about 45 minutes. Cool pie until middle has begun to completely set, about 30 minutes more.

PEANUT-CASHEW MARSHMALLOW PIE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine marshmallows and milk over medium heat, stirring often, until marshmallows are melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat. Transfer mixture to a bowl; stir in butter and vanilla. Place bowl in a pan of ice water. Gently stir until mixture is cool and begins to thicken, about 5 minutes. , In a large bowl, whip heavy cream at high speed of electric mixture until soft peaks form. Gently fold whipped cream into marshmallow mixture. In a small bowl mix together peanuts and cashews; reserve 1/4 cup for topping. Fold remaining nut mixture into marshmallow mixture. Spoon marshmallow mixture into prepared crumb crust. Sprinkle reserved 1/4 cup nuts over top of pie. Refrigerate, covered, at least 6 hours or overnight. Drizzle with caramel and if desired, chocolate topping before serving.