Ingredients: |
Ingredients: Crust:
2 cups flour
½ cup shortening (best if frozen)
¼ real butter, very cold
½ teaspoon salt
About 5 Tablespoons ice water
Filling:
1-1/3 cup sugar
1 cup butter (not margarine, the water content is too high)
4 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled to room temperature
1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
4 large eggs
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Directions: |
Directions:Preheat oven to 400º. To make crust, stir together flour and salt in a medium sized mixing bowl. Using a medium cheese grater, grate butter and shortening into the flour or use a pastry blender to cut butter and shortening into flour. Toss to distribute butter evenly throughout the flour. Sprinkle about 4 tbsp ice water over the flour mixture, tossing with a fork, then press together into ball, adding more ice water, a tsp at a time until the dough just holds together. Do not work the dough any more than you have to to form the dough into a ball. The more you work the dough, the tougher the crust will get and you will be stretching the gluten in the flour. Working the dough less will result in a nice flaky crust. Flatten the dough ball into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Roll dough out on a floured surface into a large circle, place into a 9" deep dish glass pie plate, crimping the edges in your favorite design. Prick the entire crust with a fork, including the sides, paying special attention to the edge between the bottom and the side. Sprinkle the bottom of the crust with 2 tbsp granulated sugar. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until crust is golden brown. Set aside to cool.
For filling, beat sugar and butter together on high speed with an electric mixer about 4 minutes, or until very light and fluffy (this is important, do not skip the long beating.) Stir in melted chocolate and vanilla extract using low speed on mixer. Turn mixer to high speed and add eggs, one at a time, beating on high speed after each addition, and scraping the bowl after each egg is beaten in. Spoon into baked, cooled pie crust. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 5 hours or overnight. Serve topped with a dollop of whipped cream. |
This recipe for French Silk Pie is from