Bittersweet Chocolate Pudding Pie
It is hard to put into words how decadent and delicious this bittersweet chocolate pudding pie is. If you are looking for a wow factor give this pie a try.
It’s hard to adequately give some desserts their just due description. This is one of those desserts.
I don’t know how to put into words how decadent and delicious this pudding pie is. If I tell you it was voted as Best Dessert of the Year would you believe me?
Rich, chocolate crust, topped with more delicious melted chocolate, topped with velvety, decadent pudding, topped with silky, creamy topping, topped with gorgeous, sweet chocolate curls…seriously, what’s not to love?
Let me go through a few notes on this recipe.
Note #1: This is a pretty gourmet dessert, in my opinion. As in, you probably won’t be making this to top off a Tuesday night dinner of Chili Mac, but when you want a stunning dessert with a real wow factor, this will not fail you.
Note #2: The recipe calls for crème fraîche, which is simply a tangy, thinner version of sour cream and is used in a lot of elite French dishes. Worried? Don’t be. While crème fraîche is exorbitantly priced, it is extremely easy to make yourself (see my notes at the bottom of the recipe) and I can guarantee to you that I have never tasted anything as silky and creamy as the crème fraîche when it was whipped with the cream. Seriously. Nothing like it. It takes succulent creaminess to a whole new level and is well worth the extra step to make it yourself.
Note #3: This pie is called a *bittersweet* chocolate pie because it is rich and deeply dark and chocolatey. I read all the reviews on this recipe and made some changes that suited me and my tastes. While I am a huge lover of dark chocolate (as in I know where my stash is hidden so I can save it first in case of a fire), I don’t like it so bitterly dark that it is acrid tasting. I increased the sugar in the pudding part of the pie to compensate for the dark chocolate – and I used chocolate with a 56% cocoa content (just as a reference, most semisweet chocolates are between 52 and 54%, while bittersweet chocolates are upwards of 64%).
Note #4: The crust can be made ahead, as well as the pudding (which can be made two days ahead of time). The entire pie can be assembled and refrigerated 6-8 hours before serving. So what I’m saying is that even though it may look intimidating with a lot of steps…they can transform into baby steps that can be done over the course of a few days.
Note #5: I’m done. Just trust me that this definitely lived up to the hype and quite possibly may be my favorite dessert of all time. (The other dessert giving this fabulous pie a run for it’s money will be posted next week – sorry in advance for all the calories flying about. Every single one of them is worth it, my thighs can assure you of that.)
One Year Ago: Classic Baked Ziti
Crust: (can be made one day ahead of time, lightly covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated) Filling: (can be made 2 days ahead of time – keep covered in the refrigerator until ready to use) Topping: (Assembled pie can be made 6-8 hours ahead of time – cover with a cake dome or tall pot and refrigerate) Make-Ahead: read through the recipe to see the notes about what parts of the pie can be made ahead of time. The pudding portion needs to be made at least one day ahead of time to chill overnight in the refrigerator. Substitution: also, if the crème fraîche part has you sweating bullets, you can sub the same amount of heavy whipping cream (making it 1 1/2 cups total) for the topping – but you will be missing out on a tastebud experience of silky proportions your tongue has never felt the likes of. Just sayin’. Crème Fraîche: crème fraîche is a tangy, thinner form of sour cream and is used a lot in French cooking/baking. The unique property of crème fraîche compared to sour cream is that it can be whipped to soft or stiff peaks, just like whipping cream. Crème fraîche is quite expensive to buy but the good news is you can easily make it yourself at home (which is what I did for this recipe). Here is the method I used: Filling: in a small saucepan, pour in 1 cup of heavy cream and over low heat, heat the cream until it is tepid and slightly warm to the touch (no need to overheat it – you just want to take the chill off). Stir in 1 1/2 tablespoons buttermilk. The cultures in the buttermilk are going to turn the cream into crème fraîche. Pour the mixture into a glass jar, cover it loosely and leave it at room temperature for 24 hours, stirring every 6-8 hours (don’t worry about it – the cultures in the buttermilk will protect it from going bad). You’ll notice it will start to thicken a bit. After 24-36 hours, put it in the fridge where it can be kept for 7-10 days. Once completely chilled, it can be used accordingly. As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.Bittersweet Chocolate Pudding Pie
Ingredients
Crust:
Filling:
Topping:
Instructions
Notes
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