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French Silk Pie

This FRENCH SILK PIE has a luxurious chocolate mousse filling and is topped with homemade whipped cream. It is decadent and rich, yet light and smooth- a crowd-pleaser for sure!


Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword easy chocolate pie, french silk pie
Prep Time 45 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

Pie Filling:

  • 4 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate
  • 1 cup 2 sticks salted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 1.5 cups sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 whole eggs room temperature
  • 1 package frozen pie shell baked

Whipped Cream:

  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
  • 1 teaspoon unflavored powdered gelatin
  • 2 tablespoons cold water
  • 1 tablespoon hot water

Chocolate Curl Ingredients:

  • 3 ounces semisweet chocolate
  • 1 tablespoon all-vegetable shortening such as Crisco

Instructions

Directions for pie filling:

  1. In small microwave safe bowl, melt 4 ounces of unsweetened baking chocolate until stirrable (about 45 seconds on high then 15 second increments). Set aside to cool.
  2. In a large bowl with an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat butter and sugar until fluffy (about 2-4 minutes). NOTE: make sure butter is very soft and at room temperature, and beat until sugar is entirely dissolved, or the chocolate mousse will be grainy.
  3. When melted chocolate is completely cooled, drizzle it over the butter/sugar mixture. Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Beat the mixture thoroughly until combined.
  4. Turn your mixer to medium speed and over a period of 15 to 20 minutes, add in the four eggs, one at a time, leaving about 5 minutes between each egg addition. After all eggs have been added and pie filling is well mixed, pour it into the baked pie shell. Smooth out the pie filling and place pie in the refrigerator to chill for at least two hours, preferably longer.
  5. Once pie is chilled, top with a thick layer of whipped cream and garnish with chocolate curls.

Directions for whipped cream:

  1. Soften gelatin on 2 tablespoons of cold water for about 2 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of hot water and stir to dissolve gelatin. Let cool while you mix the whipping cream and sugar in a bowl to soft peaks. Add gelatin mixture to whipped cream and fold in gently. Pile whipped cream onto top of pie and refrigerate.

Directions for chocolate curls:

  1. Put the chocolate and vegetable shortening into a microwave-safe bowl. Place in microwave until the melted and hot, about 45 seconds (if still not melted, heat for 15 additional seconds as needed.) Stir with fork to combine thoroughly.
  2. Next, pour the melted chocolate over the underside of a clean cookie sheet. Then, with an an offset spatula, spread the chocolate in a very thin layer. Then, stick it in the freezer for a few minutes to harden.
  3. After a few minutes, check if the chocolate is ready by pressing it with your finger tip. It should leave the slightest mark, but not an actual depression.
  4. Next, get a sharp-edged spatula and scrape the chocolate from the bottom of the pan. When the chocolate is just the right temperature, it'll curl instead of break. If it gets too soft, stick it back in the freezer for a minute.
  5. Transfer each curl to a cold pan or plate, and then stick them in the freezer to harden. Once hardened, sprinkle the curls on top of the whipped cream and serve!

Recipe Notes

Adapted from The Pioneer Woman.