Chocolate Peppermint Cream Pie

Aside from holiday guides and Molly's beautiful illustrations, it's been a while since I've written a proper post. I do have a fairly justifiable excuse, though: at the end of October, I packed up my D.C. apartment, and with my parent's help, drove the 360 miles to my new home in Charleston, West Virginia. The move was prompted by my acceptance of a state folklorist position with the West Virginia Humanities Council-- a real dream job for me.

Since then, it's been a whirlwind-- a new city, a new state, a new apartment, a new job where I'm building a new program. I got an all-wheel drive car and a Janus-faced tortoiseshell kitten named Wren. I really like it here-- it's friendly and cheap and scrappy and coleslaw is an obligatory topping on all hot dogs. But it did take me a while to settle into my new place. Mainly, this was because the state of the kitchen was not especially conducive to baking, an activity that always grounds me in a new place. However, with my parents' help once again, a good dose of elbow grease, and a coat of paint, my kitchen is now a room where I don't mind spending a few hours, say, baking a pie.



This Chocolate Peppermint Cream Pie was the first I made here. King Arthur Flour and Bon Appétit were both touting their Chocolate Cream Pie and I had brought with me an excess of homemade mint extract and peppermint candies from some past baking projects so I adapted the recipe to incorporate these. I had some leftover filling, which I scooped into ramekins for Chocolate Peppermint pots de crèmes, and I brought most of the pie into work the next day-- not a bad way to win the favor of your new coworkers.

Chocolate Peppermint Cream Pie
Adapted from King Arthur Flour

Ingredients
For the pie:
Nothing in the House pie crust, halved
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 1/3 cups semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 Tablespoon peppermint extract (can add more or less to taste)
2/3 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 whole milk
1 beaten egg + 1 Tablespoon whole milk or cream, for egg wash
Turbinado sugar, for dusting

For the topping:
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup peppermint candies (or leftover candy canes), crushed

Directions
For the crust:
1. Prepare half of Nothing in the House pie crust as per the directions, reserving the leftover egg for an egg wash and saving other half of the recipe in the freezer for a future pie. Chill dough at least one hour before rolling and fitting into a greased and floured 9-inch pie pan. Prick crust with fork all over the bottom. Place pie pan in the freezer for 1 hour to set before baking. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Remove crust from freezer, line with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Blind bake crust for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove paper and weights, brush with egg wash and dust with Turbinado sugar. Return crust to oven and bake for 5-8 more minutes more or until fully baked, puffed, and golden brown. Let cool while you prepare the filling.

For the filling:
1. In a medium mixing bow, place the chopped chocolate, butter, and peppermint extract. Set aside. In a medium saucepan off of the heat, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, cocoa, espresso powder (if using), and salt. Whisk in 1/4 cup of cold heavy cream until the mixture is smooth and no lumps remain. Repeat with another 1/4 cup of the cream, then whisk in the egg yolks.

2. Put the saucepan over medium heat, and gradually whisk in the remaining cream and milk. Bring the mixture to a boil, whisking constantly for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the mixture over the chocolate and butter. Whisk until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Pass the filling through a sieve into a bowl to make sure there are no lumps.

3. Place plastic wrap tightly over the surface of the chocolate mixture to prevent a skin from forming. Place in the fridge until completely chilled. Meanwhile, prepare the topping.

For the topping:
1. Pour the heavy cream into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip until the whisk begins to leave tracks in the bowl. Add the sugar and vanilla and whip until the cream holds a medium peak.

2. Transfer the chilled filling to the cooled and baked pie crust and smooth with a rubber spatula. Spoon or pipe the whipped cream on top of the filling. Chill the pie until ready to serve, then sprinkle with crushed peppermint candies.



Related recipes:
Chocolate Chess Pie
Dark Chocolate Lavender Tart with a Lemon Cardamom Crust
Grasshopper Pie
Homemade Peppermint Extract
Peppermint Pattie Tart

Christmas Pie Ideas

My trip home for Christmas has been delayed by a pesky migraine, but the upshot is that this extra recovery time offers me chance to squeeze in a little post before the holiday. Things have been busy for me, with a new city and job and all, and I realize my previous post was of a similar bent, just for Thanksgiving, but I'm looking forward to digging back in to some regular posts in the new year. In the meantime, enjoy your winter holiday celebrations, whatever they may be, and hope there's some sweetness to go with it. 

Chocolate
Chocolate Orange Pie with Mascarpone Cream
Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie with Nabs Crust, pictured top left
Milk Chocolate & Salted Caramel Hazelnut Tart
Peppermint Pattie Tart

Fruit & Nut
Bourbon Ginger Pecan Pie
Cranberry Pie, pictured bottom right
Fig-Pistachio Tarte Tatin
Shaker Orange Tarts

Preserves & Icebox
Almond & Grapefruit-Ginger Marmalade Crostata
Bakewell Tart with Apple Rosemary Jelly, pictured bottom left
Meyer Lemon Honey Marmalade Linzer Torte
Speculoos Icebox Pie

Cookies & Cakes
Pea & Corn Cookies
Sandy Spring Sand Tarts, pictured top right
Whiskey-Soaked Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake

Savory
Corn and Black Pepper Crackers
Ham, Gruyère & Caramelized Onion Galette with Fried Egg
Red & Golden Beet & Goat Cheese Tart
Tri-color Potato, Caramelized Onion, Goat Cheese & Rosemary Galette

As always, you can find many more recipes, via the Recipe Index.

Cranberry Chocolate Chess Pie

HELLO FEBRUARY! Though I went on two long-weekend adventures during the first month of 2015-- one to a cabin in Virginia for New Year's and another cross-country skiing in West Virginia-- the rest of my free time has largely been spent at home-- reading and writing, knitting and watching movies, listening to podcasts and making food. I've really been feeling the winter nesting alone time vibes; honoring those feelings has felt both productive and relaxing. I'm not sure if February will prompt a changing tide, but I'm open to whatever it sends my way.

In the first few years after I graduated college, my friends and I self-published a collaborative literary journal/zine called The Dovetail Collective. The theme and concept was constantly changing, but each issue had a regular column where members shared what they were currently reading, watching, and listening to. In what were largely pre-social media days (most of us had Myspace pages, but that's about it), it was a good way to get reliable book, movie, and music recommendations. In the spirit of that and my especially bookwormish tendencies as of late, here's what I've been reading/watching/listening:

Reading: Carolyn Chute's Treat Us Like Dogs and We Will Become Wolves. I've had the pleasure of getting to know Carolyn the past few years through NELP. She writes about a side of Maine-- her side-- that's not regularly depicted in the coastal tourist paradise stereotype we're often fed and her stories are raw and real and complicated. I also just started Emily St. John Mandel's Station Eleven and am totally enthralled.

Watching: Star Trek: The Next Generation. Yep, when I finally finish the sweater I'm knitting, there will be many hours of TNG invested in those stitches. Also, Broad City. For movies I recently enjoyed Selma and Iranian vampire movie, A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night.

Listening: Serial and the new NPR podcast Invisibilia (one of the producers, Lulu Miller, was actually a member of The Dovetail Collective). Still blasting D'Angelo's Black Messiah in the work headphones and have been spinning Jake Xerxes Fussell's new self-titled album on Paradise of Bachelors.

What have I been baking? Along with MAV's Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies, you're seeing it right here. Hoosier Mama Pie Company's Cranberry Chess Pie has become a go-to favorite, as I've said before and I was planning to make it for Christmas. When I got home, though, I learned that my mom had already made it for Thanksgiving, so I considered how I might alter the recipe for something new. I thought cranberries would pair well with a bittersweet chocolate and it turns out, they do-- resembling cherry cordials in flavor (another family holiday standby). The recipe whips up pretty quickly and is a good pick for Valentine's Day or for just sittin' at home watching Star Trek and knitting a sweater on a Sunday afternoon.

Cranberry Chocolate Chess Pie
Inspired by Hoosier Mama's Cranberry Chess Pie

Ingredients
Nothing in the House pie crust, halved
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate (60% or higher)
3/4 cup white sugar
1 Tablespoon yellow cornmeal
2 large eggs, beaten well
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon orange zest
2 cups fresh cranberries, halved

Directions
1. Prepare half of Nothing in the House pie crust as per the directions, reserving the leftover egg for an egg wash. Chill dough at least one hour before rolling and fitting into a greased and floured 9-inch pie pan. Let chill in the fridge while you prepare the filling. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Place the butter and chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally. Cook until both butter and chocolate are melted into a smooth chocolate sauce, 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and pour into a medium bowl.

3. Add the sugar and cornmeal to the chocolate mixture and stir until well combined. Then add the eggs, vanilla, salt, and orange zest. Stir with a wooden spoon until evenly mixed. Gently fold in the cranberries.

4. Pour the batter into the pie shell and smooth with a rubber spatula. Bake for 40-45 minutes, rotating pie 180 degrees halfway through. When done, filling will be puffed and set and crust will be golden brown. Remove pie from oven and let cool until warm, at least 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature with chocolate shavings, if desired.



Related recipes:
Cranberry Chess Pie
Cranberry Hand Pies
Cranberry Pie
Chocolate Chess Pie

Christmas Pie Ideas

I came home a little earlier than usual for Christmas this year. So far I've had a sleepover with best friends in Chicago, visited favorite local haunts (and some new ones), and hosted a music party at our house with family friends. I've also done a bit of holiday baking, but we still haven't yet planned our Christmas menu. So if you're like us, here are a few ideas for Christmas pies from brunch, to appetizers, to dessert. If you can't quite find what suits your table here, check out this list of Thanksgiving pie ideas or visit the Recipe Index.

Chocolate & Nut
Bittersweet Chocolate Pecan Pie
Chocolate Orange Pie with Mascarpone Cream
Milk Chocolate & Salted Caramel Hazelnut Tart
Peppermint Pattie Tart, pictured top right

Fruit & Nut
Cranberry Chess Pie, pictured bottom left
Fig-Pistachio Tarte Tatin
Pear Tarte Tatin
Shaker Orange Tarts, pictured bottom right

Preserves & Icebox
Almond & Grapefruit-Ginger Marmalade Crostata
Bakewell Tart with Apple Rosemary Jelly
Meyer Lemon Honey Marmalade Linzer Torte
Speculoos Icebox Pie, pictured top left

Savory
Ham, Gruyère & Caramelized Onion Galette with Fried Egg
Quiche Lorraine
Red & Golden Beet & Goat Cheese Tart
Tri-color Potato, Caramelized Onion, Goat Cheese & Rosemary Galette

Whatever you bake,  from this list or not, I'd love to hear about it. Have a very Merry Christmas, all!

Chocolate Orange Pie with Mascarpone Cream

Happy New Year! Hope you rang in your lucky 13 year with friends and fun a little bit of debauchery. We brought ours in with all of that and more, down in Asheville, North Carolina at our friend's honky-tonk show filled with so many more pals that it felt more like a private party than a public event. After two-stepping the night away (along with a little solo shimmying for the cowgirl costume contest), we took it to the after-party, for jams, backyard sling shot shooting, and a Dwight Yoakam/George Jones living room dance party of my dreams. Though the party was still raging, we finally had to shut ourselves in a room at 6am so we could get at least a little sleep before we drove home to D.C. the next day.



But before we launch to far into this new year, I still have a few things to share from the old one, this Chocolate Orange Pie with Mascarpone Cream being one of them. Before I had even gotten to my parents', my dad was requesting chocolate-orange pie, as they were overflowing with citrus from school fundraisers and holiday gifts. My first morning there, he jumped up from the breakfast table, ran out to his car, and came back bearing a chocolate bar with orange zest, just to emphasize what a good combination it was.



Oranges at Christmas are not unusual in my family, though. It's a tradition to get one in our stocking, there at the bottom, filling out the toes. When we were little and had our stockings at the foot of our beds, it gave us something to snack on while we played with our stocking stuffers and waited for our parents to wake up. If we were lucky, we got two oranges, one as you would expect, and the other a chocolate orange, to "whack and unwrap" later, after we'd eaten breakfast and opened presents.

It turns out that this pie, adapted from Serious Eats, tastes EXACTLY like those chocolate oranges, a dark chocolate, amply infused with fresh orange zest for a thick mousse- or soft ganache-like filling. I made this for Christmas dinner, but got a late start, so on account of the setting time, we didn't get to eat it that day, despite my uncle and grandmother's multiple inquiries (while my aunt and I anxiously awaited for the Brits to upload the Downton Abbey Season 3 Christmas Special). We tried to take it to my grandmother's the next day, but a Boxing Day snowstorm kept us at home, so we were unable to share. I'm sure my dad didn't mind...

Chocolate Orange Pie with Mascarpone Cream
Adapted from Serious Eats

Ingredients
Nothing-in-the-House pie crust, halved
2 c. (16 oz.) whole milk
3 Tblsp. orange zest (from about 3 oranges), plus additional for garnish
13 oz. 65% chocolate, chopped
Pinch of sea salt
1/2 c. (4 oz.) mascarpone cheese
6 oz. heavy whipping cream
2 Tblsp. confectioner's sugar

Directions
For crust:

1. Prepare half of the Nothing-in-the-House pie crust as per the directions. Chill dough at least 1 hour before rolling out and fitting into a greased and floured 9-inch pie pan. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Using a fork, prick chilled crust all over the bottom. Line crust with parchment paper and pie weights or dried beans and bake for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, remove weights, reduce temperature to 350 degrees F and bake until crust is golden brown, about 20 minutes more. Let crust cool completely.

For filling:

1. In a medium saucepan, whisk milk and orange zest. Place pan over medium heat and bring milk just to a boil, then remove from heat and let sit about 20 minutes. Pour the milk mixture through a sieve and  return milk to the cleaned saucepan. 

2. Combine the chopped chocolate and salt in a large heat-proof bowl. Bring milk just to a boil and pour over the chocolate mixture, letting it sit, covered, for 2 minutes, then stirring until chocolate is melted. 

3. Return mixture back to the saucepan over low heat, stirring continuously for about 8 minutes (make sure to keep stirring so chocolate does not burn on the bottom of the pan). The mixture will thicken and begin to bubble. Continue stirring until it becomes the consistency of a thick ganache. Remove from heat and pour into the pie shell. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the chocolate and chill for at least 4 hours, or overnight, if possible. When ready, the chocolate will be set up like a thick chocolate mousse.

For mascarpone cream:

1. In the bowl of a stand or hand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream and confectioner's sugar together until the cream is thickened but does not yet hold soft peaks. Add the mascarpone and whip until the mixture holds medium peaks.

2. Mound the cream on the center of the pie and decorate with orange zest curls or candied orange zest, if desired. Serve slightly chilled or at room temperature. Enjoy! And you don't even have to "whack and unwrap."