Yield: 10 servings
Chocolate French Silk Pie
This decadent French Silk Pie recipe has the silkiest, rich chocolate filling, with a crisp Oreo crust, and a cloud of sweet whipped cream on top.
Ingredients
For the crust
- 25 Oreo cookies, do not remove the cream filling
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, melted
For the filling
- 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 8 oz semi-sweet baking chocolate, chopped fine
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder, optional
- 12 tablespoons salted butter, cubed, room temperature
For the topping
- 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- chocolate curls or shavings, optional topping
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Instructions
For the crust
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Add the Oreo cookies to the bowl of a food processor and pulse to create fine crumbs. Add in the melted butter and pulse until all of the butter is absorbed by the crumbs and they are the consistency of wet sand.
- Press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch deep pie plate. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, remove from oven and then set aside to cool completely.
For the filling
- In a medium bowl, using a hand mixer, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks are formed, about 3 to 4 minutes. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for later.
- Fill a medium saucepan with 3-inches of water and bring to a simmer. In a glass or heat-proof bowl that is big enough to sit on top of the saucepan, whisk together your eggs, sugar and salt until pale yellow.
- Place the bowl over the pot of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not ever touch the simmering water beneath. Cook, whisking vigorously until the mixture reaches 160ºF, about 10 to 12 minutes. Once the egg mixture reaches 160ºF, remove from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Make sure to not stop whisking, as this can cause the eggs to start to solidify. If you do not have a thermometer look for the following visual clues: the mixture will get foamy and thicken, coating the back of a spoon.
- In a small heat proof bowl, melt the chocolate in the microwave, heating in 20-second intervals, and stirring until all the chocolate is melted and smooth. Do not overheat, as the chocolate can become grainy and seize up, you want it just melted and pourable.
- Whisk the melted chocolate, vanilla, and espresso powder into the egg mixture until fully combined. Set aside for 10 more minutes to cool.
- While the egg and chocolate mixture cools, beat the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment set to medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until it becomes smooth and creamy, stopping to scrape the bottom of the bowl once or twice.
- With the mixer on low, slowly add in the egg and chocolate mixture, making sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl once or twice while combining. Once well combined, turn the mixer to medium high speed and whip the mixture until light and fluffy, about 4 to 5 minutes.
- Gently fold in the chilled whipped cream from the fridge in 2 batches. Pour the filling into the cooled crust, wrap tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, at least 6 hours (or up to 48 hours in advance).
For the topping
- Just before serving, make the whipped cream topping. Place the heavy cream in a medium size bowl and whip until thickened using the whip attachment of an electric mixer.
- Add in the powdered sugar, vanilla, and cream of tartar. Continue whipping until medium-stiff peaks are formed.
- Spoon or pipe the whipped cream onto the top of the pie and garnish with the chocolate curls or shavings, if desired. For the cleanest slices, use a sharp knife dipped in hot water and dried before making each cut. Enjoy!
Notes
Storage: French silk pie is best served the same day that it is topped with whipped cream, as the whipped cream will start to soften and weep quickly. However, leftovers can be stored wrapped in plastic wrap and kept in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 slice, Calories: 776kcal, Carbohydrates: 54g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 60g, Saturated Fat: 35g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 17g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 205mg, Sodium: 427mg, Potassium: 318mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 41g, Vitamin A: 1729IU, Vitamin C: 0.4mg, Calcium: 85mg, Iron: 6mg