Two-in-one chocolate pie

TWO-IN-ONE CHOCOLATE PIE 

Everyone thought the chocolate "dust" sprinkled on the top of the pie was Milo. They even thought the filling tasted of the malted chocolate drink powder.

There wasn't any Milo in the pie – I used cocoa powder – and the dust on top is chocolate shavings, but come to think of it, Milo would actually have been a good idea. Next time...

This pie is made using a combination two recipes -- one used as is, the other one used as an inspiration. The crust is from Momofuku Crack Pie, which lives up to its name because it is addictive. (For the full recipe for Momofuku Crack Pie, go to the Los AngelesTimes.)

The filling was inspired by a recipe I read for Minny's famous Chocolate Pie from the movie, The Help. It contains evaporated milk and cocoa powder, and the custard is made wih eggs, but I used custard powder. (For the full recipe, go to Food and Wine.)

Now, about the pie tin. I bought the 25cm loose-bottom fluted pie tin with high sloping sides last October from a Goodwill store close to my sister's home in San Jose, California. It was such a good buy at US$2.49, but it is bigger than what I would normally use for pies, and I have been wondering about what to use it for for the past six months.

Well, I finally used it for Easter last Sunday.

Make the cookie first for the crust

The pie crust starts off as a superjumbo oatmeal cookie. It's actually enough for two 25cm pies, but because of the high sides of my tin, I had to use all of the cookie for just one pie. The dough is good for little cookies too, by the way.

The filling was still a little jiggly when I served it but none of us minded it. But I think it would make a great mousse. I have adjusted the recipe and added another tablespoon of custard powder so I’ll remember the next time I make the filling.

It's also two-toned and weighs two tonnes!

Two-In-One Chocolate Pie
Serves 10-12

Cookie for Pie Crust

From the recipe for Momofuku Crack Pie

85g all-purpose flour

Scant ⅛ tsp baking powder

Scant ⅛ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

120g softened butter

70g light brown sugar

35g sugar

1 egg

100g rolled oats

Heat the oven to 190°C.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a bowl.

In another large bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar and sugar until light and fluffy (do this by hand or with an electric mixer). Whisk the egg into the butter mixture until fully incorporated.

Beat in the flour mixture, a little at a time, until fully combined. Stir in the oats until incorporated.

Spread the mixture onto a large lightly greased baking sheet (as thinly as possible) and bake until golden brown and set, 15-20 minutes depending on thickness. Remove from heat and cool to the touch on a rack (it will crisp further). Crumble the cooled cookie to use in the crust.

Crust

Crumbled cookie for crust

60g butter

1½ tbsp brown sugar

Pinch of salt

Heat the oven to 190°C.

Combine the crumbled cookie, butter, brown sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse until evenly combined and blended (a little of the mixture clumped between your fingers should hold together). Press the crust into a 25cm high pie tin to form a thin, even layer along the bottom and ¾ of the way up the sides of the tin. There may be some left over. Bake the shell for about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside while you prepare the filling.

Filling and Pie Assembly

Inspired by Minny's Famous Chocolate Pie

45g custard powder

100g caster sugar

45g unsweetened cocoa powder

Pinch of salt

1 (400g) tin evaporated milk

150ml water
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

250ml whipped cream 
Chocolate shavings, for serving

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

In a heat-proof bowl, whisk the custard powder, sugar, cocoa powder and salt together. Add a little of the evaporated milk and whisk to get a smooth batter.

Combine the rest of the milk and water in a saucepan and place over medium heat. When bubbles start to appear around the edges, pour milk mixture slowly into custard mixture, whisking all the time until mixture is well combined. Pour mixture back into the saucepan and return to the heat. Change to a wooden spoon and keep stirring until custard thickens and coats the back of the wooden spoon. Remove from heat and add vanilla; leave to cool for 10 minutes.

Pour the filling into the pie shell and bake for about 20 minutes, until the filling is set around the edges but a little jiggly in the centre. Transfer the pie to a rack and let cool completely. At this point, the pie can be refrigerated. Top with whipped cream and dust with chocolate shavings.