Chocolate Walnut Pie

A Chocolate Delight ​

This is definitely a pie for chocolate lovers and the crust tastes like a shortbread cookie. I found the recipe in a German magazine years ago, although the original recipe had twice the amount of butter. This recipe is a keeper and I am going to use this crust in other dessert recipes. Add the chocolate filling and the nutty egg white topping and you will have a dessert you can’t resist. The pie can be kept for several days, so you can bake it ahead of time (great for the upcoming holidays). I'm thinking of baking this recipe in individual pie tins for gifts. Being the hazelnut lover that I am, I'll try using hazelnuts instead of walnuts. And maybe I'll add caramel or Nutella too, although that might be going over the top. ​

This is a straightforward recipe. Be careful not overwork the dough, and melt the chocolate in a double boiler or bowl over a pot of boiling water. Use the best chocolate you can afford. I used Lindt chocolate.

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Ingredients

The dough:

1 1/4 cup unbleached white flour
8 tbs. butter (cut into small cubes)
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
1 tbs. crème fraîche
a pinch of salt  


 The filling:

3.5 ounces bittersweet chocolate (chopped)
2 eggs (separated)
1/4 + 2 tbs. sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (chopped)
1 tbs. flour
1 tsp. orange zest


The topping:

1 egg white
1/2 cup powdered sugar (sifted)
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

Directions

The dough:

Preheat oven to 375° Fahrenheit
Butter a 10-inch pie pan 
Process flour, sugar, salt, and butter in food  processor until the butter is reduced to small pea-sized pieces. Add the crème fraîche and egg yolk and process until blended. Put dough on a cool surface and flatten with the heel of your hand. Form it into a ball. The dough will be crumbly. Wrap it in Saran wrap and rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Then roll out the dough between two pieces of Saran wrap and put it in a buttered pie pan. Bake for 5 minutes. 

The filling:

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler until melted, then cool slightly.  Beat the egg yolks with the sugar until fluffy white, and stir them into the chocolate mass. Add walnuts, orange zest, and flour. In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff. Gently fold them into the filling. Pour filling into the pie shell. Bake for 20 more minutes. Remove the pie from the oven and reduce temperature to 250°. Add the topping to the pie and continue to bake for about 10 more minutes. 

 The topping:

Beat the egg white until almost stiff, adding the powdered sugar. Add the walnuts and gently put on top of the pie.

Guten Appetit!
​recipe©Sunnycovechef