You can make delightful individual silk pies with this recipe.  It uses a crumb crust in the bottom of paper cupcake liners with a silk filling on top and then a topping of whipped cream.

This recipe makes about 18 mini pies.  This recipe can be doubled.

1 3/4 cups chocolate cookie crumbs
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 tablespoons butter, melted

3 large eggs
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water

10 ounces dark (semi-sweet) chocolate wafers
1/2 cup butter cut into pieces

1 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon French vanilla flavor

1 cup whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon French vanilla flavor
1/3 cup granulated sugar

  1. Make mini crusts in a muffin pan lined paper liners by mixing the crumbs, three tablespoons granulated sugar, and melted butter together in a medium bowl.  Line a muffin pan with 18 paper liners.  Spoon 1 1/2 tablespoons (not packed) of the crumb mixture into each paper liner.  Use a tart tamper or other instrument to compress the crumbs into the bottom of the liners.  (If you have the right size tamper, you can compress the crumbs with one quick press in each liner.)  Bake the crust for five minutes in a 350 degree oven.  Set aside to cool.
  2. Add the eggs, sugar, and water to a four-quart or larger pan.  Cook the egg and sugar mixture over low to medium low heat while beating constantly with an electric mixture.  Continue cooking and beating until the mixture reaches 160 degrees.  Remove from heat.
  3. Immediately mix the butter into the hot egg mixture with the electric mixer until smooth.  As soon as the butter is melted and while the mixture is still hot, add the chocolate wafers.  Continue beating until it is completely mixed together and cooled to room temperature.
  4. Whip the first measure of whipping cream in your stand-type mixer with the whip attachment until stiff peaks form.   Add the vanilla flavor.
  5. Change from the whip attachment to the paddle attachment.  Scrape the chocolate mixture into the bowl with the whipped cream.  Turn the mixer onto the slow speed setting and gently fold the chocolate mixture into the whipped cream.  Mix for less than a minute, until the chocolate is mixed into the whipped cream.  Using a 1/4-cup ice cream scoop or other measure, scoop filling into each paper liner.  The paper liners should be full.  Set aside and let chill.
  6. When you are about ready to serve, whip the second measure of whipping cream.  As the cream is whipping and after the peaks start to form, drizzle in the sugar and add the flavor.  Beat until stiff peaks form.
  7. Add scoops of whipped cream to each mini pie or place the whipped cream in a pastry bag and pipe the whipped cream onto the mini pies.

For the white chocolate variation:

There shouldn’t be any difference in the performance of white and dark chocolate in these pies but as we have continued to experiment and make more of them, we have found that white chocolate does not consistently set up as firm as does the dark chocolate.  So we have started adding a 1/4-ounce packet of unflavored gelatin when we use white chocolate.  Add the sugar to the pan and stir the gelatin into the sugar before adding the eggs and beginning to cook.

With that exception, make the pie exactly as above substituting white chocolate wafers for the dark chocolate wafers and a Madagascar or Indonesian vanilla for the French vanilla.

You may wish to spread sliced strawberries or sliced peaches over the filling after it is set and then covering all or part of the pie with whipped cream.

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