Chocolate Cream Pie with Orange-Mascarpone Cream Topping Recipe

Chocolate Cream Pie with Orange Mascarpone Creame Topping

Ingredients

Flaky Crisco Pie Crust

• 1-1/2 cups low-protein flour, such as White Lily All-Purpose (not self-rising)
• 1/4 tsp.  baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 cup Crisco all-vegetable shortening, chilled in freezer
• 4-6 Tbsp. ice water

Chocolate Cream Pie Filling
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 2 Tbsp. natural unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsps. finely grated orange zest
• 2 cups milk
• 2 large egg yolks
• 3 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely grated
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 tsp. orange extract

Orange-Mascarpone Cream Topping

• 1 cup Mascarpone, chilled
• 3/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream, chilled
• 3 Tbsp. Orange liqueur, such as Triple Sec
• 1 Tbsp. finely grated orange zest

Garnishes

• 1.6 oz. (1/2 bar) Orange Peel in Dark Chocolate Bar 55% cacao
• 2-3 thin slices fresh orange

Instructions

CRUST:

Pulse flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in work bowl of food processor to combine. Cut Crisco into 5-6 pieces; add to work bowl; pulse till contents are like wet sand. Pour into medium bowl. With fingers or fork, mix in ice water, adding only enough to form a dough. Press into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 15 minutes. Roll out on lightly floured surface to 12″ circle. Fit into 8″ deep dish or 9″ regular Emile Henry pie dish without stretching. Trim and flute edges. Refrigerate 15 minutes. Heat oven to 375F. Prick pie dough with fork all over; cover with foil; fill with pie weights. Bake 15 minutes; remove weights and foil. Return pie to oven and continue to bake another 15 minutes, or till crust is golden brown and cooked through. Cool completely.

PIE FILLING:

In 1-quart microwaveable bowl, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, cocoa, salt, orange zest, milk and egg yolks. Microwave on high heat for 2 minutes, then whisk till smooth. Continue to heat, then whisk, at 1-minute intervals until mixture is just thickened, about 4-5 minutes total.

Remove from microwave and stir in chocolate, flavorings and butter. Whisk or stir till melted and smooth. Press through a sieve into a clean bowl. Cool slightly, then pour into cooled crust. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.

ORANGE-MASCARPONE CREAM TOPPING:

In medium bowl, combine mascarpone and sugar. With electric mixer, beat on medium till well mixed, about 1 minute. Add cream, liqueur and zest and continue to beat till mixture is whipped and thick enough to put in frosting bag and pipe onto pie. Using a star tip (or other favorite tip), pipe topping over cooled pie, mounding center section higher than edges.

GARNISHES:

Sprinkle edges of pie thickly with grated or curled chocolate bar. Sprinkle raised center section lightly with chocolate. Twist 2-3 orange slices and place atop raised center section.

Yield: 8 servings

NOTE: Chocolove Orange Peel in Dark Chocolate (55% cacao) was used; however, plain dark chocolate can be substituted.

Submitted By: J. Castranova – New Bern, NC

View other recipe at Emile Henry USA now>>

GRAND PRIZE WINNER –  *Katherine Harter, Hancock, MI

Runners Up -

*Judy Castronova, New Bern, NC

*Meredith Dunn, Birmingham, AL

*Pamela Cleghorn, Campbellsburg, IN

*Dustin Williams, Delaware, OH

Our first photo will be of the Grand Prize Winner!  We love the detail and especially maple leaves.  How creative!!  Recipe will be revealed tomorrow.

Grand Prize Winning Pie

Best Classic Pie
Sugar and Spice Pumpkin Pie  - (Reprinted by courtesy of The Kitchn)

Sugar and Spice Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients

For the crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup cold shortening
2 tablespoons cold butter
4 tablespoon ice cold water

For the filling:
15-oz. can pure pumpkin
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1 cups heavy cream
1 Tbs. cognac or brandy
3/4 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. table salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. ground cloves

Make crust dough:
Mix flour with salt.  Cut in the shortening until the mixture looks like fine meal.  Cut in the butter coarsly–this makes a flaky crust.  Both of these cut steps can be done in a food processor by pulsing.  Sprinkle with water, mixing lightly with a fork until all the mixture is moistened.  Alternatively in a food prcessor, pulse until the dough starts to gather.  Bring dough together and press gently into a smooth ball.  Wrap ball in plastic wrap ad chill for half an hour.

Leaf design crust

Poke holes through the bttom of the crust with a fork.  Put in a sheet of parchment or wax paper on top of pie shell and weight it down with pie weights or beans (see picture).  Bake at 400 F for 15-20 minutes or until dough looks dry.  Let crust cool down completely before filling.

Make the filing and bake the pie:
Heat the oven to 325 F.  In a large bowl, whisk the pumpkin, eggs, egg yolk, cream and cognac.  (see picture)

In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, pepper and cloves.  Whisk the sugar mixture into the pumpkin mixture.

Pour the filling into the cooled pie crust.  Bake until the pie is set around the outside but still slightly wet and jiggly in the center, about 1 hour.  The filling will continue to set as it cools.  Let the pie cool completely and then refrigerate for at least 2 hours (yeah, right!) and up to 2 days before serving.  I have let the pie cool for 30 minutes before digging in.  It can be hard to wait sometimes.

I would highly recomend baking and serving your pie in an Emile Henry Pie Dish to make a beautiful presentation for your family and guests.

To view this recipe in full with all pictures and other amazing winning recipes visit www.thekitchn.com.

Sour Cherry Pie

Celebrating one of my favorite holidays – National Pie Day which is today, January 23rd. It is a celebration of pie so what a great excuse to indulge in your favorite pie or bake your best recipe. Here are some of my favorite pie recipes, cookbooks, websites and much more. Please post your favorites.

Emile Henry Cerise Pie Dish

Check out my favorite recipes at the following:

Lattice Topped Sour Cherry Pie recipe

Pecan Pie recipe

Of course, the BEST Pie Dish in the world – from Emile Henry.

Looking for a pie plate with a bit of personality? Check out this pretty ceramic baker that can be an all-purpose oven-to-table server. Find it in fruity shades, like cherry red, apple green and lemon yellow.
–Good Housekeeping Institute

Best Pie Class

http://www.pennyspies.com/

http://cookiesinheaven.blogspot.com/2009/01/national-pie-day-is-coming.html

Favorite Cookbooks

http://www.cooksillustrated.com/bookstore/detail.asp?PID=265

Be creative and win an Emile Henry pie dish. Hurry it ends on January 31st.

http://www.emilehenryusa.com/recipe/Pretty-Pie-Contest.html

Fun New Pie Cookbook

http://www.amazon.com/Garden-County-Pie-Delights-Michael/dp/0929636848

http://gardencounty.info/_wsn/page5.html

Founders of Pie Day have fun facts about pie, info about the National Pie Championships and so much more. Check out the American Pie Council at

http://www.piecouncil.org/pie_events/national_pie_day.php

Favorite Recipe websites

http://www.foodnetwork.com

http://www.allrecipes.com

Please share all your favorite cooking secrets, recipes, and much more with us.