Chocolate Fudge Pie Cooled Before Slicing

Chocolate Fudge Pie Cooled Before Slicing keeps the shopping list focused on par-baked pie crust using store-bought or homemade pie crust, unsalted butter cubed, and oz dark chocolate chopped. It serves 1 9-inch pie.

Count on 50 minutes of prep, 40 minutes of cooking, about 1 hour from the first measurement to the plate.

Ingredients Method

What goes in the bowl

• 1 par-baked pie crust using store-bought or homemade pie crust
• ¼ cup unsalted butter cubed
• 3 oz dark chocolate chopped
• ⅓ cup cocoa powder Dutch-processed or regular
• ¼ teaspoon espresso powder
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup light brown sugar
• 3 whole eggs
• 2 egg yolks

How the cooking goes

Par-Bake your pie crust

1. Heat the oven to 350°F convection or 375°F conventional. If using homemade pie dough, roll out one portion of pie dough on a lightly floured surface until about 1/8th inch thick. Chill 30 minutes flat on a sheet pan. This allows the gluten to relax and the butter to re-solidify.
2. Set chilled dough on top of a 9 inch pie dish or tin. Allow to warm up just enough to be workable. Lift up the edges and allow it to settle on the bottom. Gently press the sides to fit the dish allowing the edges to overhang the dish. Start on one side and roll the edges under towards the dish. Roll until you reach the dish then gently press it down on the dish to seal. Repeat with the rest of the crust.
3. Flute the edges by pressing one knuckle on the outside and two knuckles around it from the inside of the crust. You prefer using the knuckles but you could also use your finger tips. Chill for 10-30 minutes depending on how warm it got. If it is still cold, just 10 minutes will do.
4. Crumple a piece of baking paper and line the inside of the chilled crust. Fill with pie weights, beans or rice. You find beans work best.
5. Bake crust for 15-20 minutes and then remove the weights and parchment. You remove the parchment and weights when the crust has just begun to brown and doesn’t look raw anymore. This is the par-baked stage. The crust will bake again with the chocolate filling.

Make & bake the pie

1. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F convection or 350°F conventional (no fan). On the stovetop, cover the bottom of a medium saucepot with about an inch of water.
2. Choose a large bowl that will fit on top of the pot. The bottom of the bowl should not touch the water. In this bowl, place butter, dark chocolate, cocoa powder, espresso powder and kosher salt. Bring the water in the pot to a simmer and melt all the ingredients together, stirring now and then.
3. Meanwhile in another bowl, whisk the whole eggs and egg yolks together until they are slightly lightened, smooth, and no visible whites remain. Whisk in the granulated sugar and light brown sugar until the eggs are light and fluffy.
4. Remove the chocolate mixture from the stove as soon as it melts. You want it to be melted but not hot. Stir or whisk.
5. Tip the chocolate into the egg mixture at one time. Work quickly to keep the chocolate from cooling and seizing or the eggs from cooking prematurely in the warm chocolate. Whisk together thoroughly.
6. Pour into the parbaked shell.
7. Oven-bake in a preheated oven for 40 minutes or until it puffs in the center and jiggles slightly as a unit like Jell-O or a cheesecake. Try not to poke the pie with a knife or cake tester to test for doneness.
8. Allow to cool until it is no longer warm at ambient temperature before wrapping and refrigerating. This pie slices best when cold.

After it comes off the heat

Let the pan settle before you slice, so the crumb stays together. Cover leftovers once they are cool.

If you want another plate from Chocolate, open Thick Chocolate Chip Cookies Baked Until the Edges Set and Salted Chocolate Cherry Pistachio Pecan Bark with a Clear Method.