Raspberry French Silk Pie Food

FRENCH SILK PIE

Steps:

• For the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Crush the crackers in a food processor or resealable bag. Pour them into a bowl and stir in the melted butter and sugar. Press into a pie pan and bake until golden and set, 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly.
• For the filling: In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt the baking chocolate until stirrable (about 45 seconds on high). Set aside to cool.
• It is important for the bowl and ingredients to be cold for the next stage of making the filling--to get the right texture and result. In a large chilled bowl with an electric mixer, beat the sugar and butter until fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes.
• When the melted chocolate is cooled, drizzle it over the butter/sugar mixture. Add the vanilla extract. Beat the mixture thoroughly until combined (on a stand mixer, you will be using the whisk attachment).
• Turn your mixer to a medium speed and over a period of 15 to 20 minutes, add in the 4 cold eggs, one at a time, leaving about 5 minutes between each egg addition. Once the pie filling is well mixed, pour it into the baked pie shell, scraping every last speck of it out of the bowl. Smooth out the pie filling and place the pie in the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours (preferably longer).
• For the topping: Add the heavy cream and sugar to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whip until it is stiff. Cover the pies with a thick layer of cream. Grate the semisweet chocolate over the top.

RASPBERRY FRENCH SILK PIE

Steps:

• To make the crust, combine the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Cut in the shortening with a knife or pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Combine the egg, water, and lemon juice. Sprinkle wet ingredients over the flour mixture and toss lightly with a fork until the flour mixture is moistened. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to three days.
• Roll the dough out to fit a 9 inch pie plate. Place the dough in the pie plate, trimming the edge to form a 1 inch overhang. Fold the extra dough under itself and decoratively crimp the edge of the crust. Chill the pastry-filled pie pan at least 20 minutes before baking to prevent shrinkage.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Line pastry with a double layer of aluminum foil and a layer of pie weights or dried beans. Bake in the preheated oven until edge of crust is golden, about 10 minutes. Carefully remove the foil and weights and bake until the crust has set, about 5 minutes more. Cool completely before adding filling.
• To make the filling, melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Let it cool until room temperature but still fluid. Meanwhile, beat the butter with an electric mixer until smooth. Gradually add the sugar, beating until the mixture is light and fluffy. It should be noticeably lighter in color. Blend in the cooled melted chocolate and the vanilla extract. Add the eggs one at a time, beating at high speed for 2 minutes and scraping down the sides of the bowl well after each addition.
• Spread a thin layer (about 1/4 inch) of raspberry jam on the bottom of the cooled pie crust. Spoon the chocolate filling on top of the jam and smooth the surface. Refrigerate overnight.
• Before serving, garnish each slice with a dollop of whipped topping, 3 fresh raspberries, and a mint leaf.

FRENCH SILK PIE

Steps:

• Cut pie crust in half. Repackage and refrigerate 1 half for another use. On a lightly floured surface, roll out remaining half into an 8-in. circle. Transfer to a 7-in. pie plate; flute edge., Line shell with a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Bake at 450° for 4 minutes. Remove foil; bake until crust is golden brown, about 2 minutes longer. Cool on a wire rack., In a small saucepan, combine sugar and eggs until well blended. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture reaches 160° and coats the back of a metal spoon. Remove from the heat. Stir in chocolate and vanilla until smooth. Cool to lukewarm (90°), stirring occasionally. , In a small bowl, cream butter until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add cooled chocolate mixture; beat on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. , In another large bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add confectioners' sugar; beat until stiff peaks form. Fold into chocolate mixture. , Pour into crust. Chill for at least 6 hours before serving. Garnish with whipped cream and chocolate curls if desired. Refrigerate leftovers.