Edd Kimber’s Chocolate Cream Pie

This decadent Chocolate Cream Pie recipe is another delicious treat from One Tin Bakes, the latest cookbook by Edd Kimber. The first step is to create and blind-bake a sweet pastry case. Next, is to make a thick chocolate custard filling, and top with sweet vanilla cream and chocolate curls.

Think you might enjoy this book? Read my full review of Edd’s One Tin Bakes, and in the meantime, enjoy the three recipes we’ve been given permission to share with you on Kavey Eats.

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Edd Kimber's Chocolate Cream Pie

Sometimes you just want chocolate. With no added flavours or fancy pairings. Just pure and unadulterated chocolate. In these moments, I implore you to make this tart filled with a silky-smooth, rich chocolate custard, topped with a brown sugar whipped cream and a snowstorm of chocolate shavings.

Author Edd Kimber

Ingredients

FOR THE TART CASE

• 300 grams (10½oz / 2 cups + 6 tablespoons) plain (all-purpose) flour
• 50 grams (1¾oz / 7 tablespoons) icing sugar
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 185 grams (6½oz / 13 tablespoons) unsalted butter, diced and chilled
• 1 large egg

FOR THE FILLING

• 5 tablespoons cornflour (cornstarch)
• 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon flaked sea salt
• 250 grams (9oz / 1¼ cups) caster (superfine) sugar
• 750 ml (25fl oz / 3 cups + 3 tablespoons) whole milk
• 6 large egg yolks
• 225 grams (8oz) dark chocolate (65–70% cocoa solids), roughly chopped
• 30 grams (1oz / 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, diced
• FOR THE TOPPING
• 600 ml (20fl oz / 2½ cups) double (heavy) cream
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

TO DECORATE

• 100 grams 3½oz dark chocolate (65–70% cocoa solids), melted

Instructions

FOR THE TART CASE

• For the pastry, place the flour, icing sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse briefly together to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs, then add the egg and pulse until the mixture starts to clump together. At this point, you can either use the dough as a press-in crust or chill it and roll it out. If rolling it, tip the mixture on to the work surface and bring it together as a dough with your hands. Form into a rectangle, wrap in clingfilm and refrigerate for at least an hour before using.
• If using as a press-in crust, tip the mixture directly into the baking tin and loosely spread evenly to cover the bottom of the tin. Press up the sides of the tin to create the tart sides, then firmly press the remaining pastry over the base. Dock with a fork and refrigerate for at least an hour before baking.
• If rolling, roll out between two sheets of parchment paper into a rectangle, roughly 30.5 x 40.5cm (12 x 16in). Transfer to a baking tray and refrigerate for another 30 minutes to firm up. Lightly grease the tin and line the base with parchment paper.
• Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas Mark 4.
• Peel the parchment paper from both sides of the pastry and carefully drape the pastry into the baking tin, gently pressing it into the corners and up the sides. Trim off the top edges then line with a piece of crumpled parchment paper and fill with baking beans or rice. 
• Bake for 25 minutes, then remove the paper and beans/rice and bake for a further 10 minutes or until the base is set. Set aside.

FOR THE FILLING AND DECORATION

• To make the filling, place the cornflour, cocoa, salt and sugar into a large, heatproof bowl and whisk to combine. Add about 120ml (4fl oz/½ cup) of the milk and the egg yolks and whisk until smooth. Pour the remaining milk into a large saucepan and bring to a simmer. Pour the hot milk over the cocoa mixture, whisking to combine. Pour the custard mixture back into the saucepan and cook over a medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until bubbling, then cook for a further 2 minutes to cook out the starch. Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate and butter until melted and smooth. 
  
• You can either assemble this in the tin or carefully remove the baked pastry case from the tin before filling. Pour the custard into the blind baked pastry case and spread evenly. Cover with clingfilm and leave at room temperature for an hour, then transfer to the refrigerator for at least 4 hours before serving.
• For the topping, place the cream, sugar and vanilla into a large bowl and whisk together just until the mixture holds soft peaks. Scrape the cream on to the tart and spread evenly over the custard.
• Pour the melted chocolate over the back of a baking tray (or the back of your empty baking tin) and spread into a thin, even layer. Place the tray into the freezer for a few minutes or just until the chocolate loses its gloss but is not set hard. Use a bench scraper or metal spatula to scrap into the chocolate curls and shards. If the chocolate becomes too soft, return the tray to the freezer.
• Scatter the chocolate over the tart, cut into slices and serve. 
• Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for a couple of days, but I prefer is to serve it as close to making as possible to keep the pastry at its crispest.

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Kavey Eats received a review copy of One Tin Bakes by Edd Kimber from publisher Kyle Books (Octopus Group). Recipe published with permission. Photography by Edd Kimber.