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slice of french silk pie on a white plate on a marble countertop with a black background
Recipes
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French Silk Pie

prep 1 hour
cook 25 minutes
6 hours
total 7 hours 25 minutes
Serves 12 slices
French silk pie is one of those classic desserts known for it's rich and creamy, chocolate filling. This one is made with cooked eggs and it's perfect for making ahead because it needs plenty of chill time before serving.
Servings 12 slices

Equipment

Ingredients

Pie Crust

  • 15-30 mL whiskey , (bourbon, vodka, any spirit works)
  • 60 mL cold water
  • 150 grams all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
  • 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
  • 113 grams salted butter, cubed and cold
  • 1 egg , for egg wash

Chocolate Filling

  • 4 eggs
  • 150 grams granulated sugar, split
  • 175 grams dark chocolate, chopped
  • 113 grams salted butter, room temperature

Whipped Cream

  • 40 grams powdered sugar
  • Tiny pinch of salt
  • 360 mL heavy whipping cream, cold
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
  • chocolate shavings, curls or dusting of cocoa powder

Method

Pie Crust

  1. Place the alcohol in a measuring cup and add the cold water. Place it in the freezer while you prepare the other ingredients.
    15-30 mL whiskey (bourbon, vodka, any spirit works), 60 mL cold water
  2. Place the flour and salt in the bowl of the food processor. Place the whole bowl in the freezer while you cube the butter.
    150 grams all-purpose flour spooned and leveled, 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
  3. Add the cubed butter to the flour in the freezer, for 5-10 minutes.
    113 grams salted butter cubed and cold
  4. Remove the the bowl from the freezer, place it on the food processor and pulse until pea seize chunks form.
  5. While the food processor is on, stream in the water mixture just until it starts to come together. Start with only 2 Tbsp of water and use up to 1/4 cup if needed, I usually do 1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp of alcohol. You want the dough to be kinda crumbly but stick together when you press on it.
  6. Remove the dough from the food processor, press it together so it all sticks together. Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for an hour.
  7. Preheat the oven to 425F (218C). Roll out your pie crust to about 1/8" thick (diameter should be a little wider than your pie dish) and place it in a pie pan (not a deep dish one). I like to fold the edges of the dough underneath itself to make the edge the clean and thicker (it doesn't burn as easily around the edge if it's thicker).
  8. Place a piece of parchment paper on top of it and fill it with pie weights. If you don't have pie weights, fill it with dry beans, rice or flour.
  9. Bake the pie for 20 minutes, remove it from the oven, remove the pie weights and parchment paper and brush with a little egg wash. Return the pie to the oven and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, until it's browned and the bottom no longer looks wet. If you need to, tent the edges of the pie crust with foil or a pie shield to prevent them from burning.
    1 egg for egg wash
  10. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool completely before making the filling.

Chocolate Filling

  1. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the eggs with 100 grams or 1/2 cup of the sugar, until the eggs are smooth and no longer gloopy.
    4 eggs, 150 grams granulated sugar split
  2. Add the chopped chocolate to the egg mixture and cook over medium-low heat, whisking continuously, until all the chocolate is melted and and the mixture completely smooth. If you want to check the temperature of the eggs, take it to exactly 170F (77C) but don't go higher or they will set.
    175 grams dark chocolate chopped
  3. Pour the mixture into a bowl and cover the surface with plastic. Allow it to cool to room temperature.
  4. Once the chocolate mixture has chilled, place the butter and the rest of the sugar (50 grams or 1/4 cup) in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat at full speed for 5-10 minutes, until the butter is super pale and fluffy. Make sure to scrape the edge of the bowl every so often.
    113 grams salted butter room temperature, 150 grams granulated sugar split
  5. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and stream in the cooled chocolate mixture. I do this in about 3-4 increments, making sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl too, so I don't overwhelm the butter.
    Make sure your chocolate mixture is not hot at all (chill it a little if you need to) or the butter will melt.
  6. Set aside for a minute while you make the whipped cream.
  7. Whipped Cream
  8. Sift the powdered sugar and salt into the bowl of the stand mixer (or a large bowl with a hand mixer).
    40 grams powdered sugar, Tiny pinch of salt
  9. Add the heavy whipping cream and vanilla bean paste on top and beat at medium-low speed for about 1-2 minutes, until it starts to thicken.
    360 mL heavy whipping cream cold, 2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
  10. Increase the speed to medium-high and continue beating for another 1-2 minutes, until the cream forms stiff peaks. Don't whip passed this or it'll get chunky.
  11. Use the rubber spatula to scrape the edge of the bowl and fold it a couple of times to make it smooth and silky.
  12. Add a few spoonfuls (or about 1/2 cup) of the whipped cream to the chocolate mixture and use a rubber spatula to gently fold it in, just until there's no more streaks.
  13. Spread the chocolate mixture on top of the cooled pie crust followed by the whipped cream.
  14. Top with chocolate curls, chocolate shavings or cocoa powder. The curls are definitely not worth making if you ask me lol.
    chocolate shavings, curls or dusting of cocoa powder

Nutrition

Calories: 461kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 6gFat: 34gSaturated Fat: 21gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 143mgSodium: 207mgPotassium: 176mgFiber: 2gSugar: 20gVitamin A: 1019IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 47mgIron: 3mg
Course: Pies & Tarts
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chocolate french silk pie, french silk pie, pie crust, whipped cream