Ruth Ellens Chocolate Pie Recipes

LADD'S CHOCOLATE PIE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan over medium heat, stir together the sugar, cornstarch and salt. Pour in the milk, then the beaten eggs. Cook, stirring, until the mixture comes to a boil. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate, butter and vanilla. Stir until the chocolate is all melted. Pour into the baked pie shell and chill in the fridge for several hours until set.
• Serve plain to Ladd, serve topped with everything for Ree!

RUTH'S GRANDMA'S PIE CRUST

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine all-purpose flour, shortening, sugar, and salt. Blend together with a pastry cutter until crumbly.
• In a small bowl, mix egg with water. Blend into flour mixture. Chill in refrigerator until ready to use.

CHOCOLATE PIE

Steps:

• For the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Pulse the cookies in a food processor until finely chopped. With the processor running, add the butter. Press the crumbs into the bottoms of four 4 1/4-inch disposable aluminum pie pans. Bake until set, about 5 minutes. Let cool.
• For the filling: Whisk together the sugar, cornstarch and salt in a medium saucepan. Whisk in the milk and egg yolks. Stir over medium heat until the mixture just barely comes to a boil and becomes thick, 6 to 8 minutes. The second it starts to bubble and thicken (it should be thick like pudding), remove it from the heat. Add the chocolate, butter and vanilla, then stir until everything is beautifully combined. Pour the pudding into the pie crusts and place in the fridge, uncovered, to chill for 4 hours. Serve topped with whipped cream.

RUTH REICHL'S GIANT CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter two large rectangular baking pans (13 by 9 by 2 inches) and line them with waxed or parchment paper. Butter the paper and dust the pans with cocoa (you could use flour, but cocoa adds color and flavor).
• Measure the cocoa powder into a bowl, and whisk in 1 1/2 cups of boiling water until it is smooth, dark and so glossy it reminds you of chocolate pudding. Whisk in the milk and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk the flour with the baking soda and 3/4 teaspoon salt.
• Put the butter into the bowl of a stand mixer and beat in the sugars until it is light, fluffy and the color of coffee with cream (about 5 minutes). One at a time, add the eggs, beating for about 20 seconds after each before adding the next. On low speed, beat in the flour mixture in 3 batches and the cocoa mixture in 2, alternating flour-cocoa-flour-cocoa-flour.
• Pour half of the batter into each pan and smooth the tops. Bake in the middle of the oven until a tester comes out clean, 25 to 35 minutes. Let the pans rest on cooling racks for 2 minutes, then turn the cakes onto racks to cool completely before frosting.
• Make the frosting: Chop the chocolate and melt it in a double boiler. Let it cool so that you can comfortably put your finger in it. While it's cooling, mix the butter with the whipped cream cheese. Add the chocolate, the vanilla and a dash of salt, and mix in the confectioners' sugar until it looks like frosting, at least 5 minutes. Assemble the cake, spreading about a third of the frosting on one of the cooled layers, then putting the second layer on top and frosting the assembled cake.

RUTH'S GRANDMA'S PIE CRUST

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine all-purpose flour, shortening, sugar, and salt. Blend together with a pastry cutter until crumbly.
• In a small bowl, mix egg with water. Blend into flour mixture. Chill in refrigerator until ready to use.

COUSIN RUTH'S PIE

Steps:

• Cut butter into pieces. Add flour and vanilla. Work with fingers until dough resembles coarse cornmeal. Handle as little as possible. Add water. Push dough into a ball. Flour lightly. Wrap in wax paper. Refrigerate at least an hour, but preferably overnight.
• Remove dough from refrigerator. Peel, core, quarter apples, then slice into eighths. Divide dough in half. Roll one half between lightly floured pieces of waxed paper. (You may have to flour dough so it doesn't stick.) Roll into circular shape. Repeat with second half.
• Grease 9-inch pie plate.. Set dough round on plate. Let it drape over edge.
• Add sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice to taste to the apples. Mound apples in center of pie plate. Dot with butter. Place second piece of pastry on top. Roll edges of dough together and crimp with knife handle.
• Cut hole in center to vent steam. Prick top with fork. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350, bake from 20 to 35 minutes longer.

RUTH ELLEN'S CHOCOLATE PIE

Steps:

• Pour into unbaked pie shell. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes or until firm. Serve with whipped cream. Enjoy!