baking: smooth as silk.

After watching Julie & Julia for the ump-teenth time (I got the book years ago and devoured it three times before mailing it north to my mom and sister's with an urgent "read me!!" note attached - a rare gem scooped from the mile long costco book table) and watching "Julie" make that chocolate cream pie for the ump-teenth time I decided to try my hand at it.

The problem was I didn't know where to start. This is something I have never made before, never thought to attempt and hopefully will make again very soon. I hunkered down amongst my bought and homemade cookbooks - the which are the bain of my husbands existence. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have a den/office with one wall of floor to ceiling bookshelves filled only with cookbooks? The ultimate reference? (with my secret desire being filled that one of them is mine!) I met a man in the ER one night who had such a beast, but I am getting off track. 

After much search I discovered a recipe that intrigued me and I suspected that I could make it mine without much difficulty and this is what I got. 

Totally worth the effort. *bliss*.

chocolate cream pie

*makes one nine inch pie or six individual ones.

3 egg yolks

6 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 cups whole milk, room temp

3 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

graham cracker pie crust (recipe follows)

3/4 cup heavy cream

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

In a medium, heavy saucepan, whisk together the egg yolks, all but 1/4 tsp of the sugar and the cornstarch over medium heat. Add the milk slowly, whisking constantly. Cook, whisking, until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Add the chocolate and butter, lower the heat and continue whisking until thickened, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the custard and place bowl in a larger bowl of ice water until room temperature, about 35 minutes. Pour mixture in to the crust (or divide amongst the individual crusts) and refrigerate until set, about one hour.

Using an electric mixer, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. In a small bowl mix together the remaining sugar and the cinnamon. Spread or dollop the whip cream on the set pie(s) and sprinkle cinnamon-sugar on top.

 

graham crust

Makes one 9-inch crust

6 1/2 ounces graham crackers (12 crackers), finely ground (1 1/2 cups)
2 1/2 ounces (5 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Pulse graham cracker crumbs, butter, sugar, and salt in a food processor until combined.
Firmly press crumb mixture into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch pie dish. Bake until crust is fragrant and edges are golden, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool completely on wire rack.
*crust recipe courtesy of martha stewart.

happy munchkins ready to pounce.