Chocolate Piñon Pie Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• With an electric mixer, in a medium size bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Stir in the vanilla, grated chocolate, and pine nuts. Mix in the flour and salt. Chill the dough.
• When ready to bake, roll out the dough, on a floured surface, to a 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out the cookies with a 2inch round cookie cutter. Gather the scraps together and reroll the dough to cut out more cookies. Place slightly apart on a nonstick baking sheet.
• Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cookies are dry and firm. When cool, dust the cookies with the powdered sugar.

Steps:

• In the top half of a double boiler set over barely simmering water, stir the chocolate until melted. Using a pastry brush, brush the baked pie shell up to the rim with the melted chocolate. Set aside to cool and harden at room temperature or, uncovered, in the refrigerator. In a large saucepan, bring the milk, cream of coconut, and vanilla bean to a simmer over medium heat. Immediately turn off the heat and set aside to infuse for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or using a hand mixer), whip the egg yolks and sugar together until pale yellow and fluffy. With the mixer running at low speed, mix in the cornstarch, then gradually pour in the hot milk mixture.
• Strain the mixture back into the saucepan to smooth it and remove the vanilla bean. Whisking constantly, cook over medium-high heat until thick and just boiling. When the mixture thickens, the whisk will leave trail marks on the bottom of the pot and the mixture will have a few large bubbles boiling up to the top. Pour the mixture into a medium bowl and stir in the butter. Half-fill a large bowl with ice water. Rest the bowl containing the custard in the ice water and let cool, stirring frequently to cool the mixture. When the custard is cool, whip the cream until stiff. Fold the whipped cream and coconut into the custard. Pour the mixture into the chocolate-coated pie shell and smooth the top. Refrigerate uncovered at least 2 hours. (Or refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 24 hours.) Serve cold.
• In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), mix the flour, salt, and sugar for 1 minute. Add the butter and mix just until you have a crumbly, sandy mixture. You should still be able to see the pieces of butter. In a small bowl, stir the water and vinegar together. With the mixer running at medium speed, drizzle in the water-vinegar mixture and mix just until a dough forms. You should still see small bits of butter.
• Turn out onto a work surface, divide the dough in 1/2, and shape into 2 round, flat disks. Wrap separately in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes before using. (Or, refrigerate up to 48 hours or freeze up to 1 month before using. If frozen, let thaw in the refrigerator overnight before rolling out.) When the time comes to roll out the dough, let the dough warm up for a few minutes at room temperature. Dust a work surface with just a few tablespoons of flour and keep some extra flour at hand. If you like, you can roll out the dough between 2 sheets of waxed paper (flouring the bottom sheet and the top of the dough before rolling), which makes it much easier to transfer to the pan later on. However, you won't be able to check the progress of the dough as easily. It's entirely up to you.
• Sprinkle a little flour on top of the dough and start rolling outward from the center with quick, light strokes. Don't worry if the edges split a bit; concentrate on getting a good circle going from the center. Lift up and rotate the dough 1/4 turn every minute or so to help ensure even rolling. The dough should feel smooth and soft; some say it should feel like the inside of your forearm. If it gets sticky, sprinkle on a bit more flour, but don't do this more than 2 or 3 times; the dough will absorb too much flour. Instead, put it back in refrigerator for 15 minutes to firm the butter up. Keep rolling until the circle is at least 2 inches larger than your pan (for example, 11 inches wide for a 9-inch pie pan), or 3 inches larger for deep-dish pies.
• Set your pie or tart pan nearby. We always use heavy aluminum pans, because glass pans seem to bake the crust too fast. However, we know that the advantage of glass is that you can easily check the color of the crust. Again, it's up to you. Either choice will work.
• To transfer the crust to the pan, we find it easiest to roll a finished crust up onto the rolling pin, then gently unroll it in the pan. Or, you can fold it gently in quarters, lift it up, position the center point on the center of the pan, and unfold it into the pan. If using waxed paper, peel off the top layer, turn the crust gently into the pan, and peel off the remaining paper. Make sure that the dough is allowed to settle completely into the pan.
• Don't stretch and press the dough into the corners; stretched dough will likely shrink back when you bake it. Instead, lift the edges of the crust to let it settle down into the corners. If the dough tears a bit, don't be concerned; we'll patch it in a minute. Using scissors or a sharp knife, trim the dough to within 3/4-inch of the rim. Use any extra scraps to patch the crust, pressing with your fingers (wet them if necessary) or set aside.
• Working around the rim, turn the crust under itself (not under the rim of the pan) to make a thick edge, pressing it firmly against the pan to reduce shrinkage. To decorate the rim, just press it all around with the back of a fork. For a slightly more advanced look, press the thumb and forefinger of one hand together. Use them to gently push the thick dough rim outward, while pushing inward with the forefinger of the other hand, so that they intersect in a "V" with the dough in between. Repeat all around the rim to make a wavy edge. Chill 20 minutes before baking.
• Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line the inside of the chilled crust with aluminum foil (don't turn down over the rim, but leave the extra sticking up so that you have something to hold on to). Fill the foil all the way up to the top of the shell with pie weights, rice, or dried beans. (Pie weights are reusable metal or ceramic pellets that hold the crust in place as it bakes. You can buy them at cooking supply stores.) Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until dry and beginning to turn "blond". Lift the foil and weights out of the shell and bake another 10 to 15 minutes, checking frequently to prevent overbaking, until medium brown.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• For the crust: In a small bowl, combine the gingersnap crumbs, butter and granulated sugar. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie pan. Bake for 6 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.
• For the filling: In a small bowl, combine the gelatin and 1/2 cup cool water and let sit for 5 minutes until the gelatin softens and blooms.
• In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the milk, cocoa powder, 1/4 cup granulated sugar and the salt to a simmer, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and add the gelatin mixture, stirring until the gelatin is completely dissolved.
• Put the egg yolks in a medium bowl and beat lightly. Gradually, in a slow stream, add 1/4 cup of the chocolate mixture to the egg yolks while whisking constantly. Pour the chocolate-yolk mixture into the pan with the remaining chocolate mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened, about 8 minutes. Let cool until barely warm, about 20 minutes.
• In a large bowl using an electric mixer, whip the egg whites to soft peaks. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and the vanilla and whip to stiff peaks. Gently fold the cooled chocolate mixture into the meringue in three additions.
• Spoon the chocolate mixture into the cooled pie crust. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
• For the topping: Whip the cream with the confectioners' sugar in a bowl. Place dollops of whipped cream on the pie and grate the chocolate on top, if desired.
• Cook's Note: Food Network Kitchens suggest caution in consuming raw and lightly-cooked eggs due to the risk of Salmonella or other food-borne illness. To reduce this risk, we recommend you use only fresh, properly-refrigerated, clean, grade A or AA eggs with intact shells, and avoid contact between the yolks or whites and the shell. For recipes that call for eggs that are raw or undercooked when the dish is served use shell eggs that have been treated to destroy Salmonella, by pasteurization or another approved method.
• A viewer or guest of the show, who may not be a professional cook, provided this recipe. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe and therefore, we cannot make representation as to the results.

Steps:

• For the cake: In the mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the almond paste, egg, powdered sugar and vanilla paste and mix until creamy with no lumps. Then add the egg yolks one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
• Change the paddle to the whisk, and whisk for another 6-8 minutes. Fold in the flour, then the melted butter.
• Whisk the egg whites and sugar together to a soft peak making a meringue. Lastly fold in the meringue.
• Spread on a cookie sheet in a very thin layer and bake at 375 degrees F for about ten minutes.
• For the mousse: Cook the sugar and water to a glucose/syrup consistency. Place the egg yolks in the mixer and whisk until the color is pale and the consistency is thick. Then add the sugar/water syrup slowly and whisk until room temperature.
• Warm the pumpkin puree with the vanilla paste and pumpkin spice. Whisk in the gelatin and mix well.
• Bring the heavy cream to a soft peak by whisking it in a mixer. Fold the puree mixture into the egg yolk mixture and then fold in the whisked heavy cream. Pour the batter onto the biscuit cake.
• For the streusel: In the food processor combine all of the ingredients together and mix until it becomes a corn meal consistency.
• Spread the mixture over a silpat and bake at 300 degrees F until crispy and dry, about fifteen minutes. Chill and break into pieces.
• For Serving: Divide the mousse pie into eight squares and top with the streusel. This dessert can be served with an optional scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°. Process piñons and chocolate in a food processor until ground. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamed; add sugar, and beat until sugar dissolves. Add egg yolks to butter mixture; add zest and piñon mixture, and beat until blended. Beat egg whites at high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites, one-third at a time, into butter mixture. Pour batter into a buttered, floured 8-inch round cake pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for 45 minutes or until pie shrinks away from edges of pan. Cool and slice with a wet knife.

Steps:

• Make the crust: In a food processor or mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine flour and salt. Add butter one piece at a time, while pulsing or mixing at low speed, until mixture is fine and crumbly. Transfer to a large bowl and toss well with the cheese. Add ice water one tablespoon at a time, mixing lightly with fingers just until dough holds together. To test, pinch a small amount of dough. If it is crumbly, add more ice water. Form dough into a ball, wrap loosely in plastic, then roll into a disk. Refrigerate at least one hour, or up to 3 days, before rolling. (Dough can be frozen for up to a month.)
• On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a circle at least 11 inches in diameter. Transfer to a 9-inch pie pan, preferably glass. Turn edges under to make a thick rim; flute rim by pinching into a zigzag pattern. Refrigerate until ready to bake, at least an hour.
• Make the filling: In a large bowl, toss apples, green chilies and lemon juice together. In another bowl, mix dry ingredients and add to apples and chilies, tossing until thoroughly coated.
• Make the topping: In a small bowl, mix flour, walnuts and brown sugar. Add melted butter and toss together until crumbly.
• Bake the pie: Heat oven to 400 degrees. Using a slotted spoon, scoop filling into chilled crust, then drizzle with 2 tablespoons of juice from bottom of bowl. Sprinkle topping evenly over filling. Bake 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 375 degrees. Bake 30 to 40 minutes, or until filling bubbles at edge and crust is brown. Serve warm, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side.