Related

• Both cocoa and bar chocolate. Cocoa powder for depth of colour and flavour, melted dark chocolate for body and gloss. Either alone is thinner than the combination. See Chocolates and Cocoa and cocoa mixes.
• Less cornstarch than a plain cream pie. Chocolate solids thicken on their own as they cool; use 40 g rather than 50 or the filling turns to paste.
• Boil two full minutes — see banana cream pie for why.
• Salt, and more than feels right. 5 g. Chocolate without salt reads flat.
• A spoonful of espresso powder amplifies chocolate without tasting of coffee; see coffee.

One 23 cm pie. Serves 10.

• 1 blind-baked shell, or a chocolate crumb crust — all-butter pie crust

Filling:

• 600 ml whole milk
• 150 g granulated sugar
• 40 g cornstarch
• 40 g cocoa powder
• 6 egg yolks
• 5 g fine salt
• 200 g dark chocolate, 60–70%, chopped
• 40 g unsalted butter
• 2 tsp vanilla — see Pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp instant espresso powder, optional

Topping: 400 ml double cream · 40 g powdered sugar · chocolate shavings

Blind bake and cool the shell.

Warm the milk. Whisk the sugar, cornstarch, cocoa, salt and yolks to a smooth paste, pour in the hot milk slowly while whisking, and return everything to the pan.

Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens and bubbles, then boil two full minutes.

Off the heat, add the chopped chocolate, butter, vanilla and espresso powder and whisk until completely smooth. Strain into the shell.

Press cling film onto the surface and chill at least four hours.

Whip the cream to soft peaks, spread over, and finish with shavings.

• A chocolate crumb crust — 250 g crushed chocolate biscuits and 100 g melted butter, baked 10 minutes — is the diner standard and takes ten minutes.
• French silk pie is the uncooked, butter-based cousin; see french silk pie.
• Keeps four days refrigerated — the longest-keeping of the cream pies.

Method and theory: Pie and tart recipes · pies and tarts · Chocolates

Nearby: french silk pie · banana cream pie · chocolate ganache tart