Chocolate Silk Pie

This post should really be titled "Dad's baking knowledge saves the day." Without the man, I would be totally lost, and this pie endeavour would have failed completely. I probably would have cried, too, since I clearly have overly active tear ducts and cry all the time. Just ask anyone. I have this terrible habit of crying during oh...basically every single film I watch. My friends could potentially make some money by taking bets for when I'll start crying during the next Harry Potter film. I think there'd be good money in that. It all started when I was four, and my parents took me to see "The Lion King" at the cinema. My dad felt really bad after that, 'cause apparently, I couldn't stop crying when Mufasa died. I still choke up sometimes when I watch that film, but I assume I've gained a little more control.

But anyway, back to pie. I love pie. I lose all self-control when it comes to pie. If it were socially acceptable, I would sing songs about pie all day long and then dance around a la Gene Kelly in "Singin' in the Rain." But not really, since a). the only song about pie I actually know is the one from the "Road to the Multiverse" episode of "Family Guy," and b). I can't dance to save my life. But I have churned out a pie or two in my (almost) two decades of life.

The recipe I used for this chocolate silk pie was this one, from Salad in a Jar, the same site I got the peach pie recipe from: http://www.salad-in-a-jar.com/family-recipes/aunt-margs-french-silk-chocolate-pie

Now, this lady's pictures are a lot nicer than mine (I don't have my huge Canon camera with me in Beijing, and even if I did, iPhone photos are still a lot easier to upload), so naturally, I decided to go the hipster way and Instagram all my photos. Apologies to the boyfriend. No wonder he thinks I'm a smelly hipster.



But back on the topic at hand, Paula's recipe is great - not only is it simple, but it is honestly delicious. And if you attempt this pie yourself, please please please listen to her every word. The woman is a godsend. When she tells you to whip that filling until it is absolutely silky smooth, you whip that baby until it is absolutely silky smooth. Also, don't do what I did and use the wrong utensil. This pie almost didn't work because I neglected to use the whisk attachment with the stand mixer. Bad, bad idea. I cannot tell you how many problems that created. I almost cried when the butter and sugar just wouldn't whip up. But then, after switching to a handheld electric whisk, it looked like everything would be fine again. Only, it wasn't. The chocolate had somehow separated, and you could still taste the texture of all the sugar that went in.

And then of course, Dad came to the rescue. He suggested putting the filling into a food processor (which I am totally buying for the flat next year, by the way. It makes making pie-crust sooo much easier), which solved the problem instantly. Only, it totally liquified the filling, which was NOT what I wanted. But because my dad is a genius, he did not despair, for he knew that all you have to do when that happens is whip the filling back up. And oh my sweet lord was that filling smooth when he was done beating it. No more weird buttery chocolate bits, and no more grainy sand-like sugar particles. Only velvety smooooth creaminess. The food processor tip apparently came from a chocolate making course my dad took back in Taiwan. Thank god for parents with expensive chocolatey tastes.



Now, unlike the last pie, I didn't really make any variations on this pie. It's got about six ingredients in it anyway, and you really don't need anymore than that. I thought about maybe adding a layer of strawberry jelly underneath the chocolate filling after my dad used jelly to seal the cracks in the crust, but on second thought, that might be overkill. The pie is just dandy as is. The crust is amazing, and so easy to make. There's no waiting around while your crust sits in the fridge, and no messy hand-mixing necessary (unless of course you don't have a food processor, and in that case, PLEASE buy one. You will not regret it. I'm buying one as soon as I get back to Edinburgh). It is, however, REALLY sweet, and I didn't even use the full measure of sugar Paula's recipe called for. I also used a wee bit more chocolate (Lindt 70% is lovely), which didn't turn out to be a bad idea.

So, there you have it: a Vicki-approved hit. Now, go forth and make pie. Simply because..."it's a wonderful day for pie! You can ask all the birds in the sky! And they'll tell you real sweet, with a musical tweet! It's a wonderful day for pie!!! For pie! FOR PIE!!!"

I want to hear more music about pie.