Scott Peacocks Chocolate Meringue Pie Recipes

SCOTT PEACOCK'S CHOCOLATE MERINGUE PIE

Steps:

• Before you start: The secret to this desert is to have your ingredients measured and ready. It makes the process move along quickly. Prepare your favorite baked pastry shell. Cool on wire rack. Separate the egg yolks from the whites. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Make custard: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring 2-1/2 cup of the milk almost to simmering (watch closely so milk doesn't boil). Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, with a 12-inch or larger balloon whisk, stir remaining 1/2 cup milk into the 3 egg yolks. In a second bowl, combine 1 cup sugar, the flour, cocoa powder and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; whisk in egg egg yolk mixture until smooth. Gradually whisk in hot milk; return the mixture to saucepan.
• Bring to boiling: Over medium-high heat, cook and stir mixture until it comes to a full boil. You want large bubbles from the middle, and while you're whisking, be sure to get the whisk into the corners and weep the bottom so you won't have to worry about scorching -- which would require starting over! Boil for 30 seconds and remove from heat.
• Fill pie shell: Whisk in chocolate and butter until melted and smooth. Stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla. Strain mixture through a sieve, pushing it through with a spatula as needed. There is a good chance there will be tiny pieces of cooked egg in your custard. Straining them out is a small, easy step that makes a big difference.
• Prepare egg whites: Wash both bowl and whisk. Dry them with a clean towel. Any grease is going to give you trouble in a big way. Set whites - in bowl - over a bowl of hot (110 degrees F) water. You'll get more volume. Five minutes should do it. Keeping your elbow firmly against your side, whisk rapidly until white begin to mound. Move only your wrist. Whisk in superfine sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, sprinkling the sugar over the whole bowl. Continue to whisk until whites are moist, glossy and do not slide when bowl is inverted. Plan on 7 or 8 minutes the first few time you try this. Tips of the whites should curl over slightly when whisk is lifted from the bowl.
• Cover the pie with the meringue: Turn meringue out all at once on top of hot pie filling. With spatula, spread meringue from center to edges, making sure meringue seals to crust all the way around. Bake 15 minutes at 350 degrees or until top is golden. Ovens vary, and if you overbake, the meringue can weep.
• Cool on wire rack for one hour. Refrigerate at least two hours before serving. Store leftovers (as IF!) in the refrigerator.
• Note: If you don't want to whip the egg whites by hand, you can use an electric mixer on medium-high speed. :-).

CHOCOLATE MERINGUE PIE

Steps:

• For the beginner's pie crust: Combine the flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Add the butter and vegetable shortening and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 10 seconds. With the processor on pulse, add enough of the ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough holds together without being sticky or crumbly. Shape the dough into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill until firm and the moisture has distributed evenly, about 30 minutes.
• Flour a clean work surface and a rolling pin. Place the dough disk in the center of the floured surface. Starting in the center of the dough, roll to, but not over, the upper edge of the dough. Return to the center, and roll down to, but not over, the lower edge. Lift the dough, give it a quarter turn and lay it on the work surface. Continue rolling, repeating the quarter turns, until you have a disk about 1/8 inch thick.
• Ease the pastry into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim 1 inch larger than the diameter of the pie plate; fold the overhanging pastry under itself along the rim of the plate. For a simple decorative edge, press the tines of a fork around the folded pastry. To make a fluted edge, using both your finger and thumb, pinch and crimp the folded dough. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
• To blind-bake the crust, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Crumple a piece of parchment paper, and then lay it out flat over the bottom of the pastry. Weight the paper with pie weights, dried beans or uncooked rice; this will keep the unfilled pie crust from puffing up in the oven. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and remove the paper and weights. (You can reuse the rice or beans for blind-baking a number of times.) Return to the oven and bake the empty shell until a deep golden brown, about 10 more minutes (for 30 minutes total).
• For the filling and meringue: While the pie crust is warm, brush the bottom with the melted chocolate and set aside.
• In a saucepan, combine 1 cup of the milk and the granulated sugar. In a bowl, combine the remaining 1 cup of milk, the cocoa powder and flour and whisk thoroughly to combine. Heat the saucepan with the milk-sugar mixture over medium-high heat until simmering. Slowly add the milk-flour mixture and stir to combine. Bring to a boil. Add the egg yolks, whisking constantly, and heat until it returns to a boil. Once the mixture comes to a boil, immediately add the vanilla and remove it from the heat. Pour the mixture into the baked pie crust. Set aside to cool completely and set, about 2 hours at room temperature or 1 hour refrigerated.
• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
• To make the meringue topping, place the egg whites in a nonreactive bowl with a pinch of salt. Add the cream of tartar and, using a hand-held mixer, whisk on high speed until foamy. Sift over the confectioners' sugar a little at a time and whisk until the whites are glossy and hold stiff peaks when the whisk is lifted.
• To finish the pie, spoon the meringue over the pie, making sure it touches the edges of the pie crust. Bake until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Using a serrated knife, cut the pie into wedges and serve.

CHOCOLATE MERINGUES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat the egg whites until frothy. Add the cream of tartar and granulated sugar 1 tablespoon at a time. Beat until the egg whites are stiff and shiny and the sugar granules cannot be felt in the whites. Beat in the vanilla, reduce speed to low and add cocoa until combined. With a spatula put the egg white mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe 2-inch meringue "kisses" on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, at least 2 inches apart. Bake in the middle of oven for 2 hours. Turn off oven and leave the meringues in it for at least 2 more hours or until meringues are completely dry.

MOM'S CHOCOLATE MERINGUE PIE

Steps:

• Mix together sugar, cocoa, corn starch and salt in a medium saucepan. Gradually mix in milk. Cook and stir over medium high heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat to medium low; cook and stir 2 minutes more. Remove pan from heat. Stir about one cup of the hot filling into the egg yolks; mix back into the custard. Return saucepan to heat, and bring to a gentle boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, and stir in vanilla. Pour hot filing into crust.
• In a clean bowl, beat egg whites with cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar, and continue to beat until stiff and glossy. Spread evenly over hot filling, sealing meringue to crust.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden.

GRANDMA'S COCOA MERINGUE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C.)
• In a large saucepan or double boiler combine flour, cocoa powder, 1 cup of sugar, and salt. Mix well, then stir in milk and egg yolks. Whisk until all ingredients are thoroughly combined. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Pour mixture into baked pie shell.
• In a large glass or metal mixing bowl, beat egg whites until foamy. Gradually add 1/4 cup sugar and vanilla, continuing to beat until stiff peaks form. Spread meringue over pie, covering completely.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until top is lightly browned. Remove and allow to cool before serving.

CHOCOLATE CREAM PIE WITH CHOCOLATE MERINGUE

Steps:

• For crust: Combine flour and salt in food processor.
• Add chilled shortening and pulse until grainy.
• With machine running, drizzle in ice water until dough masses together.
• Gather dough into ball, flatten between two pieces of wax paper, and refrigerate one hour.
• Meanwhile, prepare filling by beating egg yolks in a saucepan.
• Stir in sugar, salt, cornstarch, and buttermilk.
• Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened and boils.
• Remove from heat; stir in 3 oz melted chocolate.
• Add butter and vanilla, stirring until butter melts.
• Place wax paper over filling and refrigerate until cold.
• Once dough is chilled, preheat oven to 350°F and roll out into 12-inch circle on floured surface.
• Place in 9-inch pie pan and trim edges.
• Lightly line crust with foil and fill with rice or beans.
• Bake 10 minutes; remove foil and beans; return to oven and bake another 8-10 minutes until lightly browned.
• Remove from oven and cool completely on wire rack.
• Once crust is cool, evenly spread chilled filling into crust.
• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• For meringue, beat egg whites, tartar, and salt until foamy; add sugar a tablespoons.
• at a time and continue to beat until stiff but not dry.
• Gently fold in 1 oz melted chocolate, careful not to deflate egg whites.
• Mound on top of filling, sealing edges of crust.
• Bake 5-10 minutes, or until meringue is lightly browned.
• Chill thoroughly before serving cold.