I am super excited to be cooking on FOX 19 in Cincinnati this morning (around 9:45 a.m. if you are local)! With it being National Chocolate Lover’s Month and, of course, Valentine’s Day coming up, I’m making a delicious Chocolate Cream Pie using a Wholly Wholesome crust.
But Sarah, how in the world can you make a Chocolate Cream Pie “healthified?” It’s easy!
The tricky part about baking is that you are actually doing a science project. It’s all based on a chemical reaction between foods. Change an ingredient, and it can spell disaster. BUT if you understand how the recipe is built, you can do short cuts.
In MOST recipes, like this one, you can reduce the sugar by 25%. Lucky for you, I’ve already done that for you. That’s a lot of sugar cut out! And, depending on the recipe, you can swap out with other kinds of sugars like honey, molasses, and maple syrup. Because this is a custard, I had to stick with the white sugar.
I also chose to use semi-sweet chocolate (which has less sugar), and a whole wheat crust that uses great ingredients with no fake stuff. I cut down on the fat by using 1% milk, instead of whole milk.
And, I have to say, this pie came out fabulous! My husband and kids LOVED it! They didn’t notice the missing sugar at all! It’s a perfect pie to serve as a special treat to the ones you love this month!
Chocolate Cream Pie (adapted from King Arthur Flour)
1 Wholly Wholesome whole wheat, traditional, or gluten free crust
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/3 cups semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon espresso powder, optional; for richer chocolate flavor
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 large egg yolks
1 cup heavy cream, divided
2 cups of 1% milk
Crust:
Cook pie crust according to the package instructions for a cooked/cream pie.
Filling:
1. Place the chopped chocolate, butter, and vanilla extract in a 2-quart mixing bowl; set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan away from heat, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, cocoa, espresso powder, and salt. Whisk in 1/4 cup of cold heavy cream until the mixture is smooth, with no lumps. Repeat with another 1/4 cup of the cream. Whisk in the egg yolks.
3. Place the saucepan over medium heat, and gradually whisk in the remaining cream and milk.
4. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly as the mixture thickens; boil for 1 minute.
5. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the mixture over the reserved chocolate and butter.
6. Whisk until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.
7. Pass the filling through a strainer into a bowl to remove any lumps.
8. Place plastic wrap or buttered parchment paper on the surface to prevent a skin from forming, and chill thoroughly.
Assembly:
1. Transfer the cooled filling to a cooled, baked pie crust. Level the top with the back of a spoon or an offset spatula.
2. Spoon or pipe whipped cream on top.
3. Chill the pie until ready to serve. Note: If you’re not planning on serving the entire pie at once, top individual slices with a dollop of whipped cream just before serving.
Tips:
• The filling needs to be strained while still quite warm. You can use the back of a ladle, a flexible spatula, or a wooden spoon to stir it through the strainer. Scrape the underside of the strainer once in a while with a clean spatula to help the process along.
• A shallow metal bowl with more surface area will chill the filling most quickly.
• The closer to serving time you assemble the pie, the crispier the crust will be.
• For best slicing, refrigerate the pie overnight before serving.
And a special thanks to King Arthur Flour’s bakers for their advice on making this pie!!!
#sarahmanaresi #fox19 #formulaforfitness #kingarthurflour #whollywholesome #chocolatepie #cleaneating
