Description
French Silk Pie is a decadent dessert featuring a crunchy Oreo cookie crust filled with a rich and creamy chocolate filling made without raw eggs. Topped with homemade whipped cream and elegant chocolate shavings, this pie is perfect for holidays and special occasions.
Ingredients
For the crust
- 20 Oreo (230 grams) cookies (regular-stuffed, keep filling intact)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For the filling
- 1 1/3 cups (266 grams) granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 8 ounces (227 grams) bittersweet baking chocolate, melted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 10 tablespoons (142 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/3 cups heavy cream, cold
- 4 teaspoons powdered sugar
For the topping
- 1 cup heavy cream, cold
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Chocolate shavings or cocoa powder, for garnish if desired
Instructions
- Make the crust: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9-inch deep pie dish with cooking spray. Place the Oreo cookies in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Add the melted butter and pulse until the mixture is moistened. Press the crust mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pie dish evenly. Bake for 10 minutes, or until fragrant and set. Remove and let cool completely on a wire rack.
- Make the filling: In a small saucepan, whisk together the granulated sugar and eggs. Place over medium-low heat and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture reaches 160°F and coats the back of a metal spoon. Remove from heat. Stir in the melted chocolate and vanilla extract until smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature (around 75°F), stirring occasionally. To speed cooling, transfer mixture to a stainless-steel pan with a larger surface area.
- Beat butter and combine: Using an electric mixer, beat the room temperature butter until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Gradually add the cooled chocolate mixture and beat on high speed for 5 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Whip cream and fold: In a separate clean bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the heavy cream and powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Gently fold this whipped cream into the chocolate mixture until well combined.
- Chill the pie: Pour the filling mixture into the prepared crust, smoothing the surface evenly. The pie will be tall due to the filling volume. Refrigerate and chill for at least 6 hours or until fully set. The pie can be stored for up to 2 days ahead after chilling.
- Prepare the topping: Beat the cold heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract on high speed until stiff peaks form for the whipped topping.
- Assemble and garnish: Spread the whipped cream topping evenly over the chilled pie. Garnish with chocolate shavings or dust lightly with cocoa powder, if desired, before serving.
Notes
- Ensure the egg and sugar mixture reaches 160°F to safely cook the eggs without scrambling.
- Beating the butter and chocolate mixture thoroughly adds lightness and airiness to the filling texture.
- Use cold heavy cream for best whipping results when making the whipped topping and folding into the filling.
- Chill the pie thoroughly to allow proper setting of the filling for clean slices.
- Store the pie refrigerated and consume within 2 days for optimal freshness.
- Chocolate shavings can be made from any dark chocolate bar using a vegetable peeler for an elegant garnish.
