A Dessert Worth Atoning For

Yom Kippur started tonight at sundown, and though it seems stupid, my family always eats a big meal the evening before the day of fasting. I suppose the idea is to keep you full while you fast for 24 hours, but in reality it likely stretches your stomach out, creating more hunger. Regardless, we eat a big meal the night before the fast and a small, light (typically dairy-based) meal to break the fast.

I'm going to be making another Leek and Swiss Chard Tart to break fast with, but I told my mom I would make a dessert to go with dinner before the fast begins. My mom had already made a pistachio loaf, and she requested I make something chocolate to suit my dad's tastes.

empty, blind baked

Chocolate? Ugh. Maybe your jaw dropped reading that "Ugh," but unfortunately chocolate doesn't really do it for me. I like it, I'll eat it, it's good, but I just don't get excited about it. And I really don't know what things a chocolate lover might get excited about.

full, pre-made the day before

Well, I had an extra pie crust, so I thought what about Chocolate Cream Pie? Something like that has to exist, right? And then I went on a food mag search and found Gourmet's Chocolate Pudding Pie. I used a pre-made crust cause I had one to use, but this recipe comes with a recipe and there are tons of others out there that make great crust. The one from the Lemon Meringue Pie is one of my favorites.

with whipped and a sprinkle of cinamon
not the cleanest cut, but tasty

Chocolate Pudding Pie
from Gourmet August 2009

For pastry dough
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 to 4 tablespoons ice water

For filling
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups whole milk
4 oz bittersweet chocolate (not more than 60% cacao), finely chopped
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup chilled heavy cream

Make dough:
Blend together flour, butter, shortening, and salt in a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) just until mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size butter lumps.

Drizzle 2 Tbsp ice water evenly over mixture and gently stir with a fork (or pulse) until incorporated. Squeeze a small handful of dough: If dough doesn’t hold together, add more ice water, 1 Tbsp at a time, stirring until incorporated. (Do not overwork dough or pastry will be tough.)

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 4 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather all of dough together, with a pastry scraper if you have one, and form into a 5-inch disk. Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.

Make pie shell:
Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into an 11-inch round, then fit into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim edge, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang, then fold overhang under and crimp edge decoratively.

Prick bottom and side of shell all over with a fork, then chill shell 30 minutes. While shell chills, preheat oven to 375°F with a baking sheet on middle rack. Line shell with foil and fill with pie weights.

Bake on baking sheet until pastry is set and edge is pale golden, about 25 minutes. Carefully remove weights and foil, then bake shell on baking sheet until pale golden all over, 15 to 20 minutes more. Cool shell.

Make filling:
Whisk together cornstarch, 1/3 cup sugar, cocoa powder, and salt in a 2-qt heavy saucepan, then gradually whisk in milk.

Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly, then boil, whisking, 2 minutes (mixture will thicken). Remove from heat and whisk in chocolate and vanilla until smooth. Pour filling into cooled shell and chill, its surface covered with wax paper (if you want to prevent a skin from forming), until cold, at least 2 hours.

Just before serving, beat cream with remaining 2 Tbsp sugar until it just holds soft peaks. Spoon onto pie.