Chocolate Pie
Chocolate Pie was a huge part of my childhood. There was this special recipe that my grandmother made at every family function for as long as I can remember. I also distinctly remember calling her shortly after I was married to make sure I had the recipe just right.
You see, I had tried to make that special family chocolate pie for my husband when we were dating & it was a disaster. It ended up being chocolate soup. I tried to freeze it just to get it thick but it wouldn’t even freeze solid! He was so kind & ate it anyway, but I never wanted to mess up that pie again. When my grandmother told me how to make it over the phone, she gave me very clear directions. Then my mom actually physically came over & showed me how to do it. There was a crucial step in the secret process that I had been missing!
When I found out I had food allergies that would keep me from eating that family chocolate pie ever again, I was honestly a little sad. I’ve always wanted to re-create the recipe because of the sweet memories I have surrounding this pie.
But, I was a little worried that I would never be able to make enough changes to get the pie to turn out closely enough to the original for it to even be worth it. When a local magazine editor asked me to re-create one of my childhood favorites, it gave me the encouragement I needed to get it done. This recipe first appeared HERE in this article.
I am so happy I had an extra little nudge to get this done & this pie is so good, even my mom approves!
Chocolate Pie
ingredients
for the crust:
1 cup almond flour
1 cup arrowroot flour*
1/2 cup palm shortening
1 egg
1 teaspoon maple sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
for the pie filling:
2 cans full fat coconut milk
1/2 cup maple sugar
5 tablespoons cocoa powder
3 tablespoons arrowroot flour
6 large medjool dates, pitted
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
optional toppings:
shaved chocolate
coconut whipped cream
If you want to make the best & easiest coconut whipped cream ever, check out this whipped cream canister above. Simply add cold coconut milk inside & a small amount of your favorite sweetener (I used 10 drops of liquid stevia). Refrigerate for an hour or so to get it really cold & dazzle everyone with your amazing whipped cream!
directions
preheat oven to 350
make the crust first ~ place the almond flour, arrowroot flour, salt & sugar in a food processor.
pulse a couple of times to combine & then add in the palm shortening. process until crumbly.
add in the egg & process again until a dough ball forms.
place the dough in a 9” pie plate. press the dough out evenly & press up the sides of the plate. poke holes in the dough with a fork & bake 12-15 minutes until golden brown.
while the crust is making, pour both cans of coconut milk in a blender & blend 5-10 seconds, just to combine the fat & water.
remove 3/4 cup of the coconut milk to a medium size bowl & whisk the 3 tablespoons of arrowroot flour into it until smooth. set aside.
add the rest of the filling ingredients to the blender & process on high, 45-60 seconds until dates are completely puréed.
pour the chocolate mixture into a medium saucepan & heat over medium-low for several minutes until thoroughly warmed, making sure it doesn’t boil.
once the chocolate base is warm, quickly whisk the coconut milk, arrowroot flour mixture into the chocolate mixture. continue cooking over medium-low heat & whisk continuously for 3-7 minutes. you will know it’s done when the mixture thickens to the consistency of pudding.
pour the pie filling into the crust. immediately lay a piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper over the pie filling {don’t seal the edges} & place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
serve with garnish of coconut whipped cream & chocolate shavings.