Happy Pi Day | Chocolate Derby Pie Recipe
We are excited to have an expert visit the blog today in honor of Pi Day! The girls at Two Carolines are proficient in baking and widely adored for their dessert making skills. I can testify that this recipe is to. die. for. If you haven't made a little something to celebrate this delicious day this Pie is calling your name.
My name is Caroline King, but I'm not the only one, my sister in law is also named Caroline King, and we have even more in common than just our names. Both of us love hip-hop, enjoy mid century design, like to hang out in cities, and are long time home bakers with a passion for sharing our favorite recipes with others. In November we decided to take it to the people with a blog aptly named twocarolines.com. In only 4 months we've posted 65 of our favorite bakes and this includes about a dozen pie recipes so we're a good place to look when you feel like eating pie, which is at most times for us.
On Pie day - the mathematical pi 3.14, we are often asked what we'll be making so I've started a tradition of having people over to eat pies with us that day. This is the first year we have a blog to share all that deliciousness with the rest of the world which is so exciting for us. If you're new to pie making first check out our step by step instruction for the always perfectly flaky and super easy King Family Pie Crust. Then once you've mastered that we have cream pies, custard pies, seasonal pies, and so many pies with nuts, coconuts and fruit. Probably our most popular pie is the Chocolate Cinnamon Mousse Pie that we posted a few months ago. Summer made this one herself to wide applause from everyone involved. We can't wait to get our recipes in front of more readers and we're more pleased than ever to be featured on the Elevate Everyday blog that is so well known for it's quality content and cool girls.
The pie we are featuring is called Dark Chocolate Derby Pie. When Summer and I took our first bite, our eyes rolled back, we held on to something as to not fall over from the intensity of chocolate coming at us and then we agreed that, as Summer put it, "this is a Mommy pie." Partly because of a hint of peppermint and also because it's so rich with complex and incredible chocolate flavor that most kids just can't hang.....and maybe a little bit because we don't want to share. If you don't enjoy rich desserts please move to the next pie recipe on the list, but if you're a chocolate kid like me, stock up on some serious bittersweet chocolate and get to chopping, this beauty has 12 ounces of that business and I'm loving every bite!
Chocolate Derby Pie Recipe
1 cup whole milk1 cup heavy cream12 ounces bittersweet chocolate (I subbed about 3 ounces semi-sweet just to make sure it wasn't too bitter and it turned out amazing)1/2 teaspoon kosher salt2 large eggs1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract (stick to this - a little goes a long way)2 tablespoons bourbon (I had never used it before, but you cook it than bake it so you won't get drunky and it adds a very complex amazing flavor. You could probably omit it and be fine though)cocoa powder for dusting
- 1 pre-baked 9 inch traditional pie crust. Our recipe is super easy and perfect for this pie. Pre-heat oven to 325.
- Combine the milk and cream in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring just to a boil. Put your chopped chocolate into a large bowl and once you see those bubbles coming up with your cream mixture pour it over the top of your chocolate. Let stand 5 minutes. Next add salt and whisk steadily until all the chocolate is melted.
- Crack the eggs into a separate bowl and whisk. Slowly stream a small amount of the chocolate mixture into the eggs, whisking as you pour. Continue until the egg mixture feels warm to the touch, and then mix it back into the chocolate mixture. Add the peppermint extract and bourbon (if using) then whisk until smooth.
- Strain the filling through a fine-mesh sieve directly into your pie shell. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 30-35 minutes rotating at around 20 minutes for an even bake. The pie is finished when the edges are set about 2 inches in and puffed slightly and the center is no longer liquid but the filling will continue to cook and set after the pie is removed from the oven. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack 2-3 hours. Before serving dust with cocoa powder.
Recipe adapted from Four and Twenty Blackbirds Pie Book 2013