Nothing says home sweet home like the aroma of a freshly baked pie. And with the voice of an old friend, author John Phillip Carroll teaches foolproof methods for making the delicious tried-and-true favorites that top every pie lover's list, plus some exciting new flavor sensations.
In this pie, a crisp crust is topped with chocolate custard, fluffy rum chiffon, whipped cream, and grated chocolate. After a surge of popularity decades ago, black bottom pie all but disappeared, yet when I eat it. I can’t think of any flavors that blend more harmoniously. This is a recipe with several steps, so before you have all the ingredients at hand before you start. It takes a bit of time, but the result is worth it.
Basic All American Pie Dough for a 9-inch pie shell (recipe follows)
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Roll out the dough and fit it into a 9-inch pie pan, then trim and flute the edges. Bake the pie shell fully. Cool completely before filling.
To make the chocolate custard and rum chiffon layers, in a small cup or bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the water and let stand for a few minutes to soften, In a medium saucepan, stir together 1/2 cup of the sugar, the cornstarch, and salt. Pour in the milk in a steady stream, whisking constantly, then add the egg yolks and whisk until evenly blended. Cook over moderate heat, whisking almost constantly, for 6 to 8 minutes, until the mixture boils. Reduce the heat to a simmer and whisk constantly for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour about 3/4 cup of the hot mixture over the chopped chocolate in a small bowl, Stir until the chocolate melts, then spread the chocolate mixture in the pie shell and set aside.
Add the softened gelatin to the hot mixture remaining in the pan and whisk to blend. Return to medium-low heat and whisk for about 1 minute, without boiling, to dissolve the gelatin. Pour into a large bowl and stir in the vanilla and rum. Refrigerate, whisking every 1 0 minutes, until cooled and thickened slightly, 40 to 60 minutes total.
About 5 minutes before you anticipate the rum mixture to be ready, in a large bowl, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar as you continue to beat until the whites stand in stiff peaks. Pour the rum mixture over the egg whites and fold them together until you see no drifts of unblended white. Spread the rum chiffon over the chocolate, mounding it slightly. Refrigerate for several hours.
To make the topping, before serving, in a medium bowl, whip the cream with the sugar until stiff. Spread over the pie, then sprinkle with the grated chocolate.
