Chocolate Mocha Pie

PROJECT PATISSERIE: Adventure #10

Last week I waxed poetic about my new Amish cookbook- given the book’s immense pie section I thought I’d linger there just a little bit longer. Next week I promise to move on, but I found something in there that I couldn’t pass up: Chocolate Mocha pie.

The chocolate mocha pie was our contribution to my in-laws’ Kentucky Derby party last weekend. I can hear the collective shouting the obvious: “Derby Pie!” Yes, nothing would have been more apropos for a Kentucky Derby Party than a Derby Pie and the suggestion itself was echoed by a few party goers. I guess I could try to play it off as an intentional choice, pretend that I was just being too cool for school (or theme parties) or blame it on my contrary nature- “Rebel Without a Cause” in a frilly kitchen apron. What’s closer to the truth, though, is that I was more of a “Baker Without a Clue.” I vaguely recall hearing about Derby Pie in passing, I think, but really it just didn’t register. The only thing I can say in my defense is that I have a one-track mind when it comes to desserts and, as it so often is, that track was focused squarely on chocolate.

Out of curiosity I did look into Derby Pie. Derby Pie is served every year at the Kentucky Derby and is comprised of pie crust, chocolate, walnuts, and a bit of Kentucky bourbon. Although I’m not a fan of high-octane desserts, I am a sucker for tradition and I have a soft spot in my heart for the good people of Kentucky, so I may just have to pencil Derby Pie in for next year!

But back to the matter at hand. “Chocolate mocha pie” is a bit of a misnomer, as it does not contain any coffee or coffee flavoring. My best guess is that the mocha reference comes into play from the color of the filling which could, indeed, be best described as mocha-colored. Its ingredients are simple and straightforward: homemade flaky pie crust (the foundation of any delicious pie!), melted chocolate, cream cheese, and Cool Whip. That’s pretty much it. OK- and a little bit of sugar and some milk, but that’s really all.

It’s as easy as pie to make (what pie article would be complete without that reference?) and so delicious. Something about the subtle hint of cream cheese mixed with chocolate and the lightness of the whipped topping was heavenly.  It was almost like a chocolate cream cheese mousse.

As delicious as it is, the real test of any dessert is what happens with the uneaten portions. Typically my mother-in-law encourages us to take some food home so that she won’t be saddled with quite so many leftovers. The funny thing is that last weekend my in-laws were only too happy to relieve me of the remaining slices of pie- and because I love them, and homemade pie is all about love, I was only too happy to let them have it.

Homemade Pie Crust 

(so good and well worth the extra effort)

If, dear reader, you missed the opportunity to make the homemade crust last week, here it is again. Just in case- the only difference is that this week’s pie crust needs to be pre-baked.

Sift together 1 1/3 c. of all-purpose flour, 1 Tbsp. sugar, and ¼ tsp. of salt into a large mixing bowl. Cut 5 Tbsp. of cold unsalted butter and 3 Tbsp. cold vegetable shortening into the flour mixture until the mixture forms large, coarse crumbs the size of peas. Drizzle 4 Tbsp. of ice water over the mixture and toss with a fork until the dough is evenly moist and starts to come together into a mass but does not form a ball.

Transfer the dough to a work surface dusted with a bit of flour and shape it into a 6 inch disk; wrap it tightly, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

When chilled, unwrap the dough and return it to the dusted work surface. Sprinkle the top of the dough with a little extra flour (not too much, just enough to keep the rolling pin from sticking to it) and roll it out into a 12 inch round, lifting and turning the dough several times during the process to keep it from sticking to the board. If it starts to stick, loosen it with a bench scraper.

Line the pie plate/tin with the dough, taking care not to stretch it. Once lined, trim the edge of the dough, leaving a ¾ inch overhang, and tuck the overhang under itself to create a high edge on the pan rim. Using your index finger and thumb, pinch the dough around the rim to form a fluted edge or other decorative finish.  Put it in the freezer for 30 minutes and pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Line the frozen crust with a piece of heavy aluminum foil. Fill the foil-lined crust with dried beans, or pie weights. Bake the crust until it dries out- about 15 minutes. Once dried, remove the foil and weights from the crust and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Bake the crust until golden brown, about 10 minutes longer. Transfer the crust to a wire rack to cool. NOTE: Let the crust cool completely before adding the filling- warm pie crust has a habit of liquefying most whipped fillings.

The Filling

Melt 8 ounces of semi-sweet Baker’s chocolate with ¼ c. of milk over low heat, stirring constantly. Beat in 8 ounces of softened cream cheese, ½ c. of sugar, and another ¼ c. of milk. Let cool and then carefully fold in 3 ½ c. of Cool Whip.  For those who don’t like Cool Whip (I’ll begrudgingly concede to the possibility!) Chantilly cream or just plain old whipped cream could be substituted- in theory, anyway. Cool Whip’s whipped texture is stabilized during the manufacturing process, whereas the only thing keeping Chantilly cream and whipped cream light and fluffy is air- so not terribly stable. The next time I make this recipe (which I hope will be very soon) I’ll play around with these substitutions and report back!