Chocolate Leaf Pie
Submitted by virg
Chocolate leaf pie with a flaky shortening crust and a smooth chocolate filling made from heavy cream, real vanilla bean and melted chocolate. The top crust is cut into vein-etched leaves for a showpiece finish.
YIELD
1 piePREP
30 minCOOK
40 minREADY
1 hrsThis is a pie built to be looked at before it’s eaten. The bottom is a classic flaky shortening crust, while the second round of dough gets rolled, cut into leaf shapes, and scored with light vein-like lines so the top reads like a scatter of autumn foliage.
Two details are what make the crust flake. First, cut the shortening in only until pieces the size of corn kernels remain, not a fine crumb. Those pockets of fat steam in the oven and shove the layers apart. Second, ice water and a solid 30-minute chill keep everything cold so the fat doesn’t melt before it bakes.
The filling is essentially a chocolate ganache: heavy cream simmered with a scraped vanilla bean, then enriched with melted chocolate. A real vanilla bean lends a fragrant, flecked depth that extract simply can’t match.
Pro Tips
- Keep the leaf cut-outs cold right up until they go in the oven. Freezing them first helps the veined edges hold their shape instead of slumping into blobs.
- If the dough feels too dry to gather, add ice water a teaspoon at a time. Too much water and the crust bakes up tough.
- Steep the split vanilla pod in the warm cream a few extra minutes before straining for the deepest flavor.
Variations
- Reach for bittersweet chocolate for a less sweet, more grown-up filling, or milk chocolate for a softer, kid-friendly slice.
- Brush the leaves with egg wash and a dusting of sugar before baking for a glossy, sparkling top.
Ingredients
Directions
In large bowl combine the flour and salt, cut in shortening until the mixture resembles coarse meal with some pieces of shortening the size of corn kernels still visible.
Sprinkle 5 tablespoons of the ice water over the mixture, tossing to moisten evenly.
Gather the dough into a ball adding up to 1 tablespoon more ice water if the dough is to dry.
Divide the dough in half and pat each piece into a 6 inch disk.
Wrap separately in plastic warp and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
When dough is cold, roll out one piece on floured surface and fit into pie plate.
With other piece of dough roll out and cut leaf patterns making light vein like designs.
Fit onto pie plate and freeze.
Pre bake at 350℉ (180℃). until golden.
For the filling, simmer heavy cream with scraped vanilla bean, add melted chocolate and other ingredients.
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