Recipe #1: Nora Ephron's Chocolate Cream Pie
Ooo, wow. Nora Ephron not only makes delicious movies, but she also makes delicious pies. This is the chocolate cream pie Amy Adams' character makes in the first fifteen minutes of Julie and Julia. I found this recipe and three others connected to the film on the Internet, so I think it's okay to share here.
I haven't had any of the finished product yet. I put the chocolate custard into the pie crust, swooped a few pretty flourishes on the top, then mashed them down with a cover of plastic wrap. It's in the fridge to cool and congeal and will be ready for consumption in the morning. (I'll have a taste then, but I'm waiting until I have someone to eat it with before eating a whole piece.)
But there were several spoons to lick after I'd finished cooking, and let me tell you ... WOW. The finished custard was a little bitter, like semi-sweet chocolate. But it'll be between a sweet graham cracker crust and whipped cream with sugar and vanilla mixed in, so I don't think there's going to be a lack of sweetness.
EDIT! Verdict: There are no words for how yummy this pie is. The chocolate is just perfect -- not too sweet, but not bitter either -- and even though I wasn't quite vigilant enough with my first attempt (I singed the crust, and the texture of the custard was a bit ... grainy), the second pie I made was perfect.
The recipe is under the cut:
Nora Ephron's Chocolate Cream Pie
Makes 6-8 servings
For the crust:
6 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
For the filling:
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups milk
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, in pieces
4 slightly beaten egg yolks
2 tablespoons soft butter
1 tablespoon vanilla
For the whipped topping:
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons sugar
Make the pie crust:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Melt the butter in a small saucepan.
3. Combine the graham cracker crumbs and the sugar. Add the butter and stir to blend.
4. Press the mixture into a pie plate and prebake for 8-10 minutes. Cool thoroughly before filling.
Here's another brilliant variation of Ephron's: "Pulverize some English toffee in the Cuisinart and put on top of the graham cracker crust before adding the chocolate."
Make the filling:
1. Mix the sugar, cornstarch, and salt and set aside.
2. Bring the milk to a boil. Lower the heat and stir in the chocolate and let melt.
3. Whisk the milk mixture into the sugar mixture and cook over medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon until it starts to thicken.
4. Add the yolks and stir furiously for a very short time. You want the yolks to thicken the mixture even more but you don't want them to curdle like little tiny scrambled eggs. Sometimes I do this for only 30 seconds or so.
"By the way," Ephron says, "if the eggs do curdle, pour the pudding mixture through a sieve and throw away all the curdled bits. No one will know."
5. Remove from the heat and stir more. Add vanilla and softened butter. Cover with waxed paper and cool.
6. Fill crust with pudding and refrigerate.
Make the whipped topping:
1. Whip cream until almost stiff. Add sugar and vanilla; beat until cream holds peaks. Spread on pie.
I haven't had any of the finished product yet. I put the chocolate custard into the pie crust, swooped a few pretty flourishes on the top, then mashed them down with a cover of plastic wrap. It's in the fridge to cool and congeal and will be ready for consumption in the morning. (I'll have a taste then, but I'm waiting until I have someone to eat it with before eating a whole piece.)
But there were several spoons to lick after I'd finished cooking, and let me tell you ... WOW. The finished custard was a little bitter, like semi-sweet chocolate. But it'll be between a sweet graham cracker crust and whipped cream with sugar and vanilla mixed in, so I don't think there's going to be a lack of sweetness.
EDIT! Verdict: There are no words for how yummy this pie is. The chocolate is just perfect -- not too sweet, but not bitter either -- and even though I wasn't quite vigilant enough with my first attempt (I singed the crust, and the texture of the custard was a bit ... grainy), the second pie I made was perfect.
The recipe is under the cut:
Nora Ephron's Chocolate Cream Pie
Makes 6-8 servings
For the crust:
6 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
For the filling:
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups milk
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, in pieces
4 slightly beaten egg yolks
2 tablespoons soft butter
1 tablespoon vanilla
For the whipped topping:
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons sugar
Make the pie crust:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Melt the butter in a small saucepan.
3. Combine the graham cracker crumbs and the sugar. Add the butter and stir to blend.
4. Press the mixture into a pie plate and prebake for 8-10 minutes. Cool thoroughly before filling.
Here's another brilliant variation of Ephron's: "Pulverize some English toffee in the Cuisinart and put on top of the graham cracker crust before adding the chocolate."
Make the filling:
1. Mix the sugar, cornstarch, and salt and set aside.
2. Bring the milk to a boil. Lower the heat and stir in the chocolate and let melt.
3. Whisk the milk mixture into the sugar mixture and cook over medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon until it starts to thicken.
4. Add the yolks and stir furiously for a very short time. You want the yolks to thicken the mixture even more but you don't want them to curdle like little tiny scrambled eggs. Sometimes I do this for only 30 seconds or so.
"By the way," Ephron says, "if the eggs do curdle, pour the pudding mixture through a sieve and throw away all the curdled bits. No one will know."
5. Remove from the heat and stir more. Add vanilla and softened butter. Cover with waxed paper and cool.
6. Fill crust with pudding and refrigerate.
Make the whipped topping:
1. Whip cream until almost stiff. Add sugar and vanilla; beat until cream holds peaks. Spread on pie.
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