Chocolate Pie

All set for our guests. Clary + I went down at 3 + waited until 5 - so did all the teachers, evang + student body - 300 strong - and they didn’t come - the boat didn’t make it. Sunday I made 3 pies + today 2 crumb cakes but its pretty certain they’ll be here tomorrow. I’m so anxious for them to come. - Annette, October 1943

There is just something about pie. Annette and Clary received word that several other missionaries would be visiting from America, so they set to work preparing the guest room and cooking up a storm. Sadly, their guests were delayed. Not to worry! Just a few days later, they greeted the group of young pastors with pomp and circumstance - and pie. This time of year, as families and friends prepare for guests, I wonder how many pies will be made….

By now, it should come as no surprise that Annette, with her insatiable sweet tooth, included a pie recipe in her diary. It will also not surprise anyone reading this to know that recently, some friends and I started a Baking Club. Each month, we choose a baking topic, then meet up to share our creations and discuss baking techniques, watch the Great British Bake-Off, and snack away. This month’s topic is - you guessed it - pie. So, it was time to tackle my Grandmother’s Chocolate Pie. I’ve made pies before - what could go wrong? Well, I nicknamed my first attempt “Disaster Pie,” so that should tell you something. Read on for the story and the recipe.

Chocolate Pie

3 eggs - separated

1 cup sugar

2oz chocolate

1/4 cup conrstarch

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup milk

1 teasp vanilla

speck of salt

whipped cream

Melt choc. in doboiler. Add milk, salt, + cornstarch mixed with a little cold water + cook until smooth + thick. Stir consis. Add butter. Mix egg yolk + sugar + pour hot mix over them - put back in doboiler + cook 1 minute. When cool, add vanilla. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. Place in pastry shell that was baked delicate brown.

Pie Crust

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teasp salt

1/2 teasp baking powder

1/3 to 1/2 cup shortening

1/4 cup cold water (about)

Work short into flour with fork. Add cold water slowly enough to hold dough together. (This makes top + bottom crust.)

Let’s start with the pie crust. Since this is Pie Month for my baking club, I’ve tried out 3 different pie crust recipes, with a few different techniques. My plan was to use some of my tricks to make Annette’s pie crust.

Annette specified to blend with a fork, but I’ve found that my pastry blender does a better job of cutting the fat into the flour. I worked the ingredients….

…and ended up with a nice coarse meal. Much more even than using a fork, and it stayed colder than using my fingers.

I added enough water for the dough to come together in a ball (a little less than the amount Annette specified). Then, I wrapped the ball in plastic and popped it into the fridge for several hours. Another trick from my pie crust trials.

After several hours, I rolled out the dough and placed it in a pie shell. I made a half recipe, since I figured a chocolate pie only needed a single crust. I pricked the bottom, filled the tin with pie weights, and blind baked the crust for about 40 minutes until golden brown.

Let’s call it - rustic. At least there is no soggy bottom, Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood!

As the pie crust cooled, I started to work on the filling. As it turns out, this pie is similar to chocolate mousse - which I have never ever made. Let the adventure begin!

Adding all the ingredients, the mixture started to look familiar. A few years ago, I was on a big homemade pudding kick. Maybe this would end up being a chocolate cream pie?

Whipping the egg whites - which is perfect, because my stand mixer is on its last legs, and only works properly at high speeds.

Time to combine the egg whites with the chocolate mixture. Here, I think, I made my fatal mistake. I don’t think I cooked the chocolate long enough. It was runny, and the addition of egg whites did nothing to fluff up the texture.

I filled the cooled pie crust and quickly realized that I had no idea what to do next. Do I chill it, like an icebox pie? With all the eggs, should I bake it? Annette’s directions left me with no direction. I decided to bake it for 30min at 350, because I was pretty certain no one would be a fan of raw chocolate egg pie.

After some time in the oven, using a shield to protect the edges of the crust, the center was still not set. I was worried about the dark color, so I pulled it out and let in cool - in the fridge.

It was clear that I had failed this pie miserably. The first slice was mousse-like on top, and liquid on the bottom. The only way to eat it is cold, because that at least makes it solid. So, from this experience with Disaster - I mean, Chocolate Pie, I have learned that I need to work on my souffle technique. I have also gained even MORE respect for my Grandmother for making this work in the Middle Of Nowhere, China in the 1940s.