Julias Aunt Larues Chocolate Pie Food

CHOCOLATE PIE

Steps:

• For the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Pulse the cookies in a food processor until finely chopped. With the processor running, add the butter. Press the crumbs into the bottoms of four 4 1/4-inch disposable aluminum pie pans. Bake until set, about 5 minutes. Let cool.
• For the filling: Whisk together the sugar, cornstarch and salt in a medium saucepan. Whisk in the milk and egg yolks. Stir over medium heat until the mixture just barely comes to a boil and becomes thick, 6 to 8 minutes. The second it starts to bubble and thicken (it should be thick like pudding), remove it from the heat. Add the chocolate, butter and vanilla, then stir until everything is beautifully combined. Pour the pudding into the pie crusts and place in the fridge, uncovered, to chill for 4 hours. Serve topped with whipped cream.

LADD'S CHOCOLATE PIE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan over medium heat, stir together the sugar, cornstarch and salt. Pour in the milk, then the beaten eggs. Cook, stirring, until the mixture comes to a boil. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate, butter and vanilla. Stir until the chocolate is all melted. Pour into the baked pie shell and chill in the fridge for several hours until set.
• Serve plain to Ladd, serve topped with everything for Ree!

PEANUT BUTTER-CHOCOLATE PIE

Steps:

• Make the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch pie plate. Pulse the graham crackers and peanuts in a food processor until finely ground. Add the melted butter and pulse to combine. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and up the side of the prepared pie plate. Bake until set, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.
• Meanwhile, put the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave at 50 percent power in 30-second intervals, stirring after each, until melted and smooth. Spread evenly in the prepared crust with a small offset spatula or the back of a spoon; set aside until the chocolate sets, about 10 minutes.
• Make the filling: Beat the heavy cream in a bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until soft peaks form; refrigerate until ready to use. In another bowl, beat the peanut butter, cream cheese, milk and vanilla on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the confectioners' sugar and mix on low speed until incorporated.
• Gently fold half of the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture until combined, then fold in the rest. Spoon into the prepared crust and smooth the top. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set, at least 3 hours or overnight. Top with shaved chocolate before serving.

JULIA CHILD'S CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

Steps:

• Place the chocolate and 4 Tbsp strong coffee in a small sauce pan and place in a pan of hot water. Stir for a minute or so until melting begins.
• Place egg yolks in a bowl and beat, adding the sugar in a thin stream. Continue beating until the mixture is thick, pale and forms a ribbon. Beat in the rum. Set over a pan of almost simmering water and beat for an additional 5 minutes. Test with your finger to make sure the mixture is warmed through.
• Allow to cool. It should again form a ribbon and have the consistency of thick creamy mayonnaise.
• Stir the chocolate until smooth and gradually add the softened butter. When totally in corporate stir the mixture into the yolks and sugar.
• In a clean dry bowl beat the room temperature egg whites. Begin slowly and increase the speed until soft peaks are formed. Sprinkle with 2 TBSP of sugar and a pinch of salt. Continue beating until stiff peaks are formed.
• Fold 1/4 of the stiff egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it. Scoop the remaining egg whites on top and delicately fold them inches.
• Place into a mold or serving dishes and chill for several hours or overnight.
• Serve with whipped cream if desired.

AUNT JULIA'S CHOCOLATE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 500°F.
• To prepare the pie filling, in a saucepan, combine the 1 cup of granulated sugar and 1 cup of the milk. Set aside.
• In a bowl, combine the remaining 1 cup of milk, the flour, and cocoa powder in a bowl and whisk thoroughly to combine. (Mama uses a shaker and shakes the mixture until it is well combined and frothy.) Set aside.
• Heat the saucepan with the milk-sugar mixture over medium-high heat until simmering. Slowly add the milk-flour mixture and stir to combine. Bring to a boil. Add the egg yolks, whisking constantly, until it returns to a boil. Once the mixture comes to a boil, immediately add the vanilla and remove it from the heat.
• Pour the mixture into the baked pie crust. Set aside.
• To make the meringue topping, place the egg whites in a nonreactive bowl with a pinch of salt. Add the cream of tartar and, using a hand-held mixer, whisk on high speed until foamy. Sift over the confectioners' sugar a little at a time and whisk until the whites are glossy and hold stiff peaks when the whisk is lifted.
• To finish the pie, spoon the meringue over the pie, making sure it touches the edges of the pie crust. Bake until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Move to a rack to cool completely and set, then serve.

JULIA'S CHOCOLATE TART DOUGH

Steps:

• To make dough in food processor fitted with metal blade: put the flour, cocoa, sugar and salt in work bowl and pulse just to blend.
• Add butter and pulse 8-10 times, until pieces are about the size of small peas.
• With machine running, add yolk and ice water and process, in short bursts, until JUST crumbly- don't overwork it!
• Turn it out onto the work surface and, working with small portions, smear the dough across the surface with the heel of your hand.
• Gather the dough together and shape it into a rough square.
• Pat it down to compress it slightly, and wrap in plastic.
• Chill until firm, at least 30 minutes.
• The dough can remain in the refrigerator for 3 days, or it can be wrapped airtight and frozen for a month.
• Thaw the dough, still wrapped, overnight in the refrigerator before rolling it out.
• Cook's note: When I made this, I stuck the dough in the freezer to chill, then promptly forgot about it.
• 4 hours later, when I remembered to pull it out, it was frozen solid.
• I pulled out my box grater and grated it directly into the pie pan.
• It worked beautifully, no roling involed: just patted it all down into place.

JULIA AND JACQUES'S CHOCOLATE ROULADE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in center. Butter an 11-by-17-inch jelly-roll pan or a 12-by-17 1/2-inch sheet pan, and line with parchment paper.
• In a small saucepan, heat 1 cup cream to a simmer. Add chocolate, reduce heat, and whisk until chocolate is melted. As soon as mixture is a uniform dark color, remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes.
• In a large bowl and using a hand mixer, whip egg whites and 2 tablespoons sugar to stiff, glossy peaks, about 1 1/2 minutes. Whisk one-quarter of the egg-white mixture into the chocolate mixture. Gently fold chocolate mixture back into the original egg-white mixture, and mix until smooth and well combined.
• Pour batter into the prepared pan, and spread it in an even layer with a rubber spatula. Bake until cake is set and puffy, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and cool to room temperature. Lift parchment paper to remove cake from pan, and set it on work surface with long side facing edge of table. Using a fine-mesh sieve, lightly dust cake with cocoa powder.
• Make the creme chantilly: Whip the remaining 1 cup cream with the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar, the vanilla, and cognac. Spread evenly over entire surface of cake.
• Roll the cake lengthwise, starting at a point 2 to 3 inches over the creme chantilly. Roll cake another few inches, pressing against parchment paper to make a tight spiral. Gently peel parchment paper off as cake layer rolls away. Complete the roll, stopping at the far edge of the parchment paper. Tuck the loose parchment paper around and underneath the cylinder so it is well wrapped and can be moved easily. Serve immediately, or refrigerate for up to 4 hours.
• When ready to serve, transfer roulade to serving platter. Remove parchment paper, gently rolling cake into center of platter, with seam on bottom. (If roll has slumped or twisted, lay a piece of plastic over top and sides, and reshape with hands.) With a sharp knife, trim both ends of roll crosswise or on a diagonal. Dust top with confectioners' sugar and cocoa powder, and garnish with seasonal fruit. To serve, cut the roll into 1-inch-thick slices, and lay flat on dessert plates; top with additional creme chantilly if desired.

JULIA'S MOUSSE AU CHOCOLAT

Steps:

• Combine chocolate and rum in a small pot; nestle pot inside a larger pot filled with water and set aside to allow to melt.
• Beat yolks in another small pot until pale and frothy.
• Combine sugar and coffee in another pot; cook over medium heat until dissolved, 5-6 minutes. Pour coffee mixture into yolks in a stream, while whisking, set aside.
• Pour water into a large pot to a depth of 2". Heat over medium-low heat until hot but not simmering. Nestle pot with yolk mixture over pot and cook, whisking vigorouslym until thick and creamy, about 8-9 minutes. Transfer yolk mixture to a clean bowl; beat with an electric mixer until cool; about 5 minutes.
• Uncover chocolate mixture and stir; add butter and whisk until smooth. Fold chocolate-butter mixture into yolk mixture; set aside.
• Beat egg whites in a bowl until just frothy. Add cream of tartar and salt; beat to stiff peaks. Stir 1/4 of the egg whites into chocolate-yolk mixture; gently fold in the rest. Spoon mousse into 6 serving cups or dishes. Chill until set. Beat cream to stiff peaks; transfer to a pastry bag with a star tip. Pipe a rosette of cream onto each mousse.

JULIA'S AUNT LARUE'S CHOCOLATE PIE

Steps:

• Bake pie crust ahead. Melt chocolate bits, add 4T. milk, 4T. sugar, slightly beaten egg yolks. Cook 10 minutes or so. Beat 4 egg whites until stiff and fold in after first mixture cools slightly. Top with whipped cream. (May keep all day) Julia's addition: That's the way my great-aunt wrote it out for me (she's 80). It's sort of a spare recipe - she didn't particularly want to give it to me. I think it's funny that she wrote chocolate "bits". One thing to remember is to make sure the melted chocolate, milk, and sugar mixture is cooled down a little before you add in the egg yolks or they'll cook and make it lumpy. Also, once the chocolate filling is made, pour it into the pre-baked pie shell and refrigerate it for 3 or 4 hours and it'll set up nicely so that you can spread whipped cream on the top.