This Almond Crust Chocolate Pie, with its almond and cacao cookie-like crust and silky chocolate egg custard filling, is every chocolate lover’s pie!
Chocolate and Almond Holiday Pie
What’s not to love about a silky chocolate custard pie with a cookie-like almond crust!
I have always been a cookie lover and so when I make a pie crust, I often want it to have the crunch of a cookie.
This cookie-like crust, made from crushed almonds and a sprinkle of cacao powder, makes the crust as much the star as the silky chocolate egg custard filling.
Chocolate Pie Recipes
I was in the mood for chocolate, but since I am a pie lover, over cakes, I searched for a chocolate pie recipe and found very few that appealed to me.
Unfortunately I was met with the realization that many of the well known magazines, or food blogger’s recipes, used thickeners (yuk).
There is no reason to put cornstarch, gelatin or tapioca in a chocolate custard.
All you need is eggs!
Cacao – The Real Chocolate
So, out of a hankering for chocolate, I created the BEST chocolate pie recipe you will ever taste, simply because I was making it from real chocolate!
I’m a dessert snob!
That’s right, take a close… really close look, at this bite!
Pure, raw cacao, little sugar, cream and eggs! Yum!
In baking with chocolate, I have found that most ‘ready made’ chocolate is made with oils and stabilizers I don’t want, and way too much sugar.
Raw Cacao is the way to go, but if you don’t want the caffein that’s in chocolate, you might love cooking with Carob instead!
It comes in both raw powder form and carob bars.
Almond Crusted: The Perfect Pie Crust For Chocolate Custard
Did you know that a pie crust is really a very simple combination of dry ingredients balanced with wet ingredients to hold it together?
It’s easy crushing almonds into a powder and it becomes part of the dry ingredients; and who doesn’t love nuts with their chocolate!
Almond Cookie-Like Pie Crust
Dare I say, a cookie pie crust is actually my preferred crust for a tart.
No, it’s not a pie crust that can be rolled out and shaped to fit a pie pan.
For that type of pie crust you just need a flour and butter pie crust.
On one occasion, perhaps you watched me make it on The Great American Recipe with PBS, I made my favorite almond crust in the finale of the 8-Episode show.
I made a Fig Tart, with my almond and oat cookie-like crust, and the judges loved the pie but didn’t ‘get’ the crust. Said it was too thick.
They, like so many ole-time pie makers, think a pie crust is just a thin flaky, flour/butter crust.
Sorry judges, but you were wrong!
This almond pie crust has pizzazz! It is easily plopped into the pie pan and pressed with your little fingers into shape.
Ingredients Needed
- Butter
- Almonds
- Flour
- Sugar
- Cocoa
- Salt
- Egg
- Cream – Full cream coconut milk can be substituted
- Coffee or Chocolate liquor (optional)
- Raspberry or Strawberry Dust – Make from freeze-dried of either
Equipment Needed
- Food Processor
- Oven
- Individual Spring Form Pans
- Fork
- Measuring cup
- Measuring spoons
- Oven
Silky Chocolate Custard: The Perfect Chocolate Pie
Before the custard goes into the pan, the almond crust is pressed into the pan, for an easy to assemble pie crust.
Secondly, simple ingredients will make up this luscious chocolate custard: Raw cacao, an equal amount of sugar (not a truckload), and eggs.
Finally, a little color on top of the chocolate pie, using crushed freeze-dried raspberries or strawberries, makes it look more festive.
Baking A Chocolate Pie
This recipe easily accommodates a single pie pan.
Overall I like the security of knowing a pie or cake can be easily removed from a pie pan, so I prefer a removable bottom pie pan or spring-form pan.
Equally, another trick I like to use, is Mason Jar Lids as the pie pan.
They make for a small pie, about 3 bites, but are so easy to remove and slide onto a plate.
You could also make a dozen miniature almond crusted chocolate pies, and slide onto a lovely serving tray for a larger gathering or take to your children’s school for Valentine Day.
Almond Crusted Chocolate For Valentine’s Day
Undoubtedly, what better dessert could there possible be for Valentine’s Day or any other special occasion, than a chocolate pie, baked in a cookie-like almond crust!
I created this festive tree in 2021 winter, after the Christmas tree came down and the room seemed void of anymore bling.
Since I wasn’t ready to let go of the festive feeling of my Christmas tree, I went out for a walk in the woods, found a tall branch and created a new festive feeling.
Indeed, a little more bling in my living room!
Undeniably, I am certain, if you are a chocolate lover, an almond cookie lover or a pie lover, you will love my very snobbish chocolate pie with almond crust for a gazillion special occasions!
Almond Crusted Chocolate Custard Pie
Equipment
- 4 Individual springform pans or an 8-inch springform pan
Ingredients
Almond Crust Ingredients
- 6 tbsp Butter softened
- 1 1/2 cups Almonds
- 3/4 cup Flour
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- 1 tbsp Cacao
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 Egg whisked
Chocolate Pie Custard Ingredients
- 3 Eggs
- 1/3 cup Sugar
- 1/3 cup Cacao
- 2/3 cup Cream full cream coconut milk may be substituted
- 1 tbsp Coffee or Chocolate liqueur (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350Place the almonds in a food processor. Grind to a powder. Add butter and pulse. Add remaining dry ingredients. While mixing, pour in the whisked egg. The crust will come together into a dough ball.
- If making one single pie, place the dough ball into a pie pan and press to fill the pan, crimping edges. If using 4 individual (4 inch) pie pans, divide the crust into 4 and press into individual pie pans. Set aside.
- Whisk eggs and sugar together for 2 minutes. Add cocoa, cream and liqueur if using. Whisk until well blended. Pour into prepared crusts.
- Bake for 35 minutes or until tops are firm and begin to form cracks.
Notes
I believe the table... that place that draws people to gather, is the most powerful symbol of togetherness. All that happens before the table is set, the planning, the gathering, the preparing, are all an intricate part of the dance that create the mood of celebration to share with friends and loved ones.