Foods to Die For: French Silk Pie (United States)

Sunday, February 12, 2012

French Silk Pie (United States)

       Surprise, Surprise! French Silk Pie is not the least bit french. The origin of this wonderful confection comes from the bread basket states, mainly Pennsylvania, where farmers wives gave it this name as a way to make it seem much more fancy than it actually was. I don't know why they felt the need to give it this label, as this pie is the epitome of classy cream pies.
       The original recipe for this creative confection I have a slight problem with, as it tends to contain raw egg yolks. As you can see if it were not for our friend Sammy Nila (ha ha, get it. No well it's because of salmonella poisoning). Luckily newer versions of this recipe allow you to fully cook your egg yolks when making the chocolate custard filling. The pie is then topped with a stiff whipped cream and some chocolate curls to finish.
      My version of French Silk Pie actually came about through a mistake while baking late at night. I was catering a small party for a sorority and was up at two in the morning trying to finish the desserts. Well while making the pies whipped cream topping I accidentally added in my instant cappuccino powder, which I had been drinking in an attempt to stay awake, in place of the intended powdered sugar. Well I guess it was one of those signs from above, because after had taken a moment out of my panic I actually found that the coffee paired well with the creamy chocolate pie. When I served it the next day, the French Silk Pie was the first dish to go.  Even more surprising was the amount of alumni asking me for the recipe. After some additional experimentation I finally came to a recipe which I could make confidentaly.

Cafe Style French Silk Pie

1 blind baked 9 inch Amish pie crust (see note)

5 ounces chocolate (bittersweet), broken into pieces

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

tablespoon cornstarch

6 egg yolks

1 1/2 cups ground almonds (see note)

2 cups heavy cream

3 tablespoons coffee liquor

1 tablespoon instant capucino powder

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Place a heatproff bowl over a pan of simmering water. Add in the chocolate and stir to melt. In a large bowl cream together the butter and sugar, add in the cornstarch and egg yolks. To the egg mixutre gently fold in the chocolate. Spoon the mixture into the pie and place in a 375* oven for about 10 minutes to allow the mixture to cook. Remove the pie from the oven and allow to fully cool before continuing with the next step.

In a mixer equipped with a whisk attachment mix the heavy cream until heavy peeks begin to form. Gently fold the liquor, capucino powder, and powdered sugar into the heavy cream. allow the cream to chill before continuing with the next step.

Place the whipped cream into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe small morsels of the cream onto the top of the pie continuing in circles. Serve immediatley or place the freezer until ready to serve. If you would like to give the pie extra flair then you might shave some chocolate over top of the pie.

Serves 8

(Note: You can find the Amish pie crust recipe on my blog on Apple Pie. Make the pie crust as instructed and only use one of the balls to roll out the one 9-inch pie. Using a fork place a set of small hole in the bottom of the crust to ensure that it does not bubble. For added precaution you should line the bottom of the pan with alluminum foil and place either commercial pie weights or beans in the bottom to weigh the crust down. Bake in a 325* oven until the crust is a light golden color).

(Note: When making your own ground almonds place about 2 teaspoons in the food processor with the almonds to ensure that the almonds do not reach an oily consitency.)

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Dictionary of Cooking Terms

Al Dente: Italian meaning 'to the tooth' used to describe pasta or other food that is cook only until it is tender but not yet soft.
Baste: to spoon or brush food as it cooks with melted butter or other fat, meat drippings, or liquid (try a small amount of wine).
Beat: Making a mixture smooth by adding air from a stiff stirring motion with a wooden spoon, spatuala, or electric mixture.
Blanch: To plunch a fruit or vegetable into hot water for a short time, then into cold water to stop the cooking process. Used to cook vegetables while keeping the color. Great to loosen skin from fruits and vegetables.
Blend: To mix two or more ingredients with a spoon, fork, or spatula just until combined
Boil: Heating a liquid until it begins to reach a consistent boil.
Braise: Cooking teqhnique to where food is first browned in fat, then cooked on a low heat covered in a small amount of liquid. first done on the range then finished on the range or in the oven.
Bread:to coat food in a type of carbohydrate. Usually done by first coating in a liquid then coating in a type of breading (bread, crumbs, or crackers).
Broil: to cook food directly over or under a heat source with no covering.
Candied: To either cook in a sugar or a sugar syrup. Either the syrup is poured over the food or it is cooked in the syrup until translucent.
Carmelize: To melt sugar over low heat until it browns. This term can apply to the cooking of meats as well with you are creating a thick brown coating to the meat.
Chill: to cover and place in the refrigerator in order to reduce the temperature.
Chop: to use a knife or cleaver to cut food into small pieces. When chopping food the pieces should be larger and more course then minced food.
Cool: to remove from a heat source and allow to come down to room temperature.
Cream: to beat until a mixture is soft and smooth. When applied to mixing a fat, such as butter or shortening, and a sugar you should mix until fluffy.
Curdle: Most commonly occurs in milk based sauces and in some egg products. It is when the Curds(the lumps most commonly associated with spoiled milk) seperate from the Whey (the liquid). Usually trigured by heat.
Cut In: a term used when you mix shortening with flour. Usually done with a pastry blender or two knives. Cutting continues until the mixture reaches the "Small Peas" phase.
Dash: adding an ingredient that is less than 1/8th of a teaspoon. Usually can be measured with a small amount of the ingredient in the palm.
De-Glaze: Done after cooking in a pan and fat has been removed. Liquid is added to the pan and heated while stirring to remove the brown bits and possibly create a base for a sauce.
Dice: to cut food into small uniform cubes.
Dredge: to lightley coat food which will later be fried. First dredge in a liquid then in crumbs, this process may be repeated for a better coating.
Egg Wash: Brushing a pastry with either a whole egg, egg white, or egg mixed with water or milk. Usually done to give better appeal.
Flambe: To add liquor to foods and set ablaze with with a long match or flame from a gas range.
Fold: A technique used to gently combine a light, airy mixture (such as egg whites, or heavy cream) into a heavier mixture.
Fry: A generic term used when cooking food in hot fat over medium to high heat. If "Pan Frying" a shallow layer of fat is added to the pan and the food is not fully emersed in the fat. If "Deep Frying" then the food is completely submerged in the hot fat to cook.
Garnish: An edible decoration given to finished dishes.
Glaze:A mixture applied to food which hardens or becomes firm and adds flavor and a glossy appearance.
Grate: To rub a food item on a grater that separates the food into very fine particles.
Grease: To rub the bottom and sides of a pan with butter, shortening, cooking spray, or oil.
Grill: To prepare food on a grill over some form of heat source. Usually hot coals, gas flame, or wood.
Knead: To work dough with the heal of the hand pushing down against the dough and then folding.
Marinate:To allow a food to stand in a liquid to tenderize or add flavor.
Mince: to cut food into very small pieces. When mincing food the pieces sould be larger than a long grain of rice but smaller than a dime.
Poach: To cook food in hot liquid just below boiling point, being careful that the food holds its shape while cooking.
Puree: To process foods to a smooth mixture in a blender, food processor, food mill, or sieve.
Reduce: To boil a liquid until the volume has "reduced" by evaporation, which thickens the consistency of the liquid and amplifies the flavor.
Render: To melt animal fat (ie bacon) over low heat to separate it from any meat. The remains are called cracklings (named for the sound made by when chopping the remains)
Roast: To cook uncovered without any added liquid. Usually done in an oven.
Roux: A mixture of flour and fat which, after being cooked slowly, is added to soups, stew, chowders and sauces to thicken.
Saute: To cook food quickly in a small amount of fat in a skillet or saute pan over direct heat.
Scald: to bring to a temperature just below the boiling point where tiny bubbles form at the edge of the pan.
Scallop: To bake food, usually in a casserole, with sauce or other liquid. A crunchy topping is usually added during the end of the baking process.
Score: To cut narrow grooves into the skin of some sort of meat.
Sear: To brown the surface of the meat very quickly with intense heat.
Shred: To tear the food narrow strips either by hand or by the use of a machine or tool.
Sift: To pass dry dingredients through a fine mesh sifter so any large pieces can be removed. This process also adds air to the ingredients.
Simmer: To cook food genly in a liquid on a heat low enough that only tiny bubbles begin to form.
Skewer: A long thin pointed rod that comes in various sizes. Used to hold the food in place during the cooking process.
Skim: To remove fat or foam from surface of liquid with a spoon.
Soften: To let cold butter, cream cheese, etc stand at room temperature until it reaches a soft consistency.
Soft Peaks: To beat egg whites or whipping cream till peaks are formed when beaters are lifted, but the tips still curl over.
Steam:To cook in a small amount of water in order for steam to form and cook the food lightly. More water may be added when all the original water has evaporated.
Steep: To extract color, flavor, or other qualities from a substance by leaving it in liquid just below the boiling point.
Stew: To simmer slowly in a small amount of liquid
Stiff Peaks: To beat egg whites or whipping cream until the peaks stand straigh when beaters are lifted, but are still moist and glossy.
Stir Fry: A Chinese method of cooking diced food in a small amount of hot oil over high heat, stiring consitently
Toss: To turn pieces of food over multiple times in order to mix the ingredients together.
Truss: A method which allows food (mainly poultry) to hold its shape during the cooking process. This is done with either cooking twine or bamboo skewers.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

French Silk Pie (United States)

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