The Queen was a Chocoholic and Here’s the Proof

By
Sasha S
-
Chocolate Pie
Photo by Anton on Unsplash

You may be super far from Buckingham Palace and all things royal, but we have a feeling that you and the late Queen share something in common…

According to her personal chef, Queen Elizabeth II was an enormous fan of chocolate. Although she was served an array of delicious desserts during her reign, there is one in particular that she loved the best: chocolate perfection pie.

Ingredients:

Crust

  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup vanilla sugar
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, cold
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 3-4 tablespoons heavy cream

Filling

  • 2 eggs
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon white wine vinegar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Topping

  • 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 ounces white chocolate, shaved

Instructions:

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9-inch tart pan and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  2. In a bowl, combine the flour and salt. Chop the butter into the flour using your hands or a pastry cutter until the butter looks like fine crumbs. Add the egg yolk and 3 tablespoons of the heavy cream and mix. Add another tablespoon of cream if the mixture feels to dry to come together.
  3. Roll out the dough on a lightly-floured surface. Aim for 1/3-inch thickness. Place the dough on the pan and press it against the bottom and sides.
  4. Line the crust with parchment paper and pie weights or dried beans. Par-bake for around 15-20 minutes, until the crust starts to brown at the edges. Remove the parchment and pie weights and cool to room temperature.
  5. For the filling, place a mixing bowl over a pot of boiling water. Add the eggs, cinnamon, sugar, vinegar, and salt, and whisk until the mixture starts to foam up slightly. Remove from the heat and whisk again until the mixture becomes creamy and forms ribbons in the batter.
  6. Pour the egg mixture over the cooled crust and bake in the oven for about 15 minutes, until the filling has risen and is firm to the touch. Carefully place on a cooling rack and allow the filling to sink back into the shell.
  7. Partially melt the semi-sweet chocolate in the microwave. Carefully add in the egg yolks and half a cup of water, then whisk until combined.
  8. Spoon half of the chocolate over the pie filling, then bake pie in the oven for another 5 minutes. Place the pie on a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.