It is such a rich treat, but simple because it can be made from pantry items. The key to this pie is PATIENCE. Lots of waiting by the mixer for the sugar to cream with the butter, for each egg to beat in, and for the cream to whip up. As the original recipe card says, "Mix in mixmaster."
Another mental note to make is that this dessert does contain raw eggs. The pie is well-chilled, but not actually cooked. I have seen some recipes that add pasteurized egg product instead of actual eggs. I have never tried this approach, so can't really recommend it. The best advice would simply be not to eat this if you have some kind of compromised immune system or if you are pregnant. Otherwise, I can tell you that this pie has been enjoyed in our family for many years with no illness from the raw eggs.
My ingredients, with the exception of the whipping cream which was still in the fridge. I set my eggs and butter out for about 30 minutes to take the chill off of them. I haven't made a pie crust in years, but should really give it a try again! For a quick weeknight supper, Pillsbury will have to do.
Two other recommendations on the ingredients...Kirklands Vanilla from Costco is such a bargain. Don't ever buy it at the grocery store again. And organic eggs have gotten ridiculously affordable at Walmart now.
The picture above shows creaming the butter and sugar. This seriously takes about 10 minutes because you want the sugar completely dissolved. No one wants a crunchy pie!
Here's the bittersweet chocolate. The recipe uses two squares. You add 1.5 oz to the pie, and use the other half square to make shavings for the top.
The above picture shows the butter, cream, and chocolate mixture with the addition of one egg. You beat this for FIVE minutes. No scrimping on the mixer time!
The above picture shows the pie mixture after the second egg has been added. So adding up the mixer time, we have about 10 minutes for the butter and sugar, 5 minutes for the first egg, and 5 minutes for the second egg. After adding the vanilla, this goes into the baked pie crust and into the fridge to set.
Here I am whipping the cream. I have added the powdered sugar and vanilla. Be extra careful to just whip until peaks form. Too much mixing of the cream actually makes butter. Not what you want to top the French Silk Pie. (And yes, I have done this before.)
The finished product...a family heirloom recipe for French Silk Pie. Of course, Michael and I enjoyed ours. Jack absolutely loved his. Grace enjoyed hers after scraping off the whipped cream. Please excuse my well-done pie crust! Here's the recipe...enjoy!
Baked pie crust
3/4 cup sugar
1 stick butter
1.5 oz bittersweet chocolate
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 pint (8 oz) whipping cream
2 T powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
Chocolate for shavings
1. Prepare your pie crust.
2. Cream butter and sugar until you can't feel grains of sugar.
3. Melt chocolate and cool. Add to butter mixture.
4. Add 1 egg. Beat 5 min. Add 2nd egg. Beat 5 min. Add 1 tsp vanilla.
5. Pour into pie crust and chill.
6. Whip cream, then add powdered sugar and vanilla.
7. Top pie and decorate with chocolate.
8. Keep chilled.
I found a similar recipe on Martha Stewart, although the larger amounts of ingredients suggest it makes a bigger pie.
Come join Love the Pie with TidyMom sponsored by Cherokee USA, Le Creuset, Wilton,Bags by Bloom and Harvard Common Press
1 comment:
I think my mom actually has a copy of that recipe in that exact handwriting! Hello from PA cousin Tanya! Love reading about your international travels!
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