Recipe: Chocolate Pumpkin Pie from chef Michael Symon
“If a flourless chocolate cake and a classic pumpkin pie had a love child, it would be this silky, sinful dessert,” says the celebrity chef.
Michael Symon, the gleaming, gleaming-pated genie of so many reality-food shows, hardly requires an introduction. This September, he returned to the shelves with his eighth cookbook, “Simply Symon Suppers,” coauthored with Douglas Trattner, a collection of 165 recipes honoring the time-honored formula of one simple main plus a couple killer sides.
In the spring, there’s Pan-Roasted Pork Chops with Spring Onion Gravy and a Shaved Spring Onion Salad, and in the summer, there’s Grilled Lobster with Lime-Jalapeno Butter and Spicy Old Bay Corn on the Cob. For autumn, home cooks looking for a different take on Thanksgiving pumpkin pie should try his decadent Chocolate Pumpkin Pie.
“If a flourless chocolate cake and a classic pumpkin pie had a love child, it would be this silky, sinful dessert,” says Symon. “I made it for Thanksgiving during the second season of (ABC’s) ‘The Chew,’ and it went viral on my social media pages.” You can use a store-bought crust to save time.”
Pumpkin Chocolate Pie
This recipe yields one 9-inch pie.
INGREDIENTS
14 cup all-purpose flour, plus additional for rolling
8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 kosher salt teaspoon
granulated sugar, 1/2 teaspoon
2 to 4 tbsp. ice-cold water
6 oz. chopped semisweet chocolate
3 oz. chopped bittersweet chocolate
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes (1/2 stick)
1 (15-ounce) pure pumpkin can
1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
three large eggs
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract, pure
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder
3/4 teaspoon ginger powder
1 kosher salt teaspoon
a quarter teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp ground cloves
INSTRUCTIONS
To make the pie crust, combine the flour, butter, salt, and granulated sugar in a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand with small marbles of butter remaining. Add 2 tablespoons ice water and pulse until the dough is crumbly and holds together when squeezed. If the dough appears too dry, add another tablespoon or two of cold water, being careful not to overmix. Place the dough in a plastic bag, shape into a disc, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Roll the dough out to a 12-inch round on a lightly floured surface. Press the dough into a 9-inch pie pan with care. Leave a 1-inch overhang all around the dough. Flute or fold the excess dough under. Fill the pie shell with a large piece of parchment paper and pie weights or dried beans. Transfer to the oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Keep the oven on, but reduce the temperature to 325°F.
To make the filling, combine the semisweet chocolate, bittersweet chocolate, and butter in the top of a double boiler set over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Take the pan off the heat.
Stir together the pumpkin, evaporated milk, brown sugar, eggs, cornstarch, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, salt, nutmeg, and cloves in a large mixing bowl. Incorporate the melted chocolate.
Place the pie pan on a baking sheet, pour the filling into the pie crust, and bake for 1 hour, or until the filling is set. Refrigerate until completely cool before serving.
