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An overhead shot of the sliced pie with slices on plates.
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French Silk Pie (No Raw Eggs!)

This French Silk Pie has the creamiest chocolate filling, and is made with basic ingredients (and no raw eggs!). Although this pie takes a few more steps than other types of pie, it's completely worth the effort. Add your filling to a flaky pie crust, a graham cracker crust, or even a chocolate cookie crust. Everyone will love this delicious pie!
Course Dessert
Cuisine Dessert
Keyword Homemade French Silk Pie, Thanksgiving Pies
Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Dough Chilling + Pie Setting Up 7 hours 30 minutes
Servings 12 slices
Author Stephanie Simmons

Ingredients

For the Pie Crust

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 18 tbsp Danish Creamery's Premium Salted Butter, cold
  • 9 tbsp ice cold water, plus more as needed

For the French Silk Filling

  • 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped Use high-quality chocolate bars here, such as Baker's or Ghirardelli. Do NOT use chocolate chips.
  • 2 ounces milk chocolate, chopped Use high-quality chocolate bars here, such as Baker's or Ghirardelli. Do NOT use chocolate chips.
  • 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup + 5 tbsp Danish Creamery's Premium Salted Butter (13 tbsp total, or 184 grams)
  • 1 cup cold heavy cream
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract

For the Whipped Cream

  • 1 and 1/2 cups cold heavy cream
  • 3 tbsp powdered sugar
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract

For Chocolate Curls

  • 3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate *see notes for chocolate curl directions
  • 1 tbsp shortening

Instructions

  • Make the Pie Dough: Make the dough as instructed in my "Perfect Pie Crust" post. The ingredient amounts listed above (the same as are in that post) make 2 crusts, so you can save one for later, or cut the recipe in half. Prepare the dough through step 4, chilling it as directed. Then, roll it out and transfer to a 9-inch ceramic or metal pie plate as directed in steps 5 and 6.
    See alternate pie crust options (graham cracker and no-bake chocolate cookie crust) in the notes below.
  • Bake the Pie Crust: Once your crust is in the pie plate, and you've crimped the edges (as directed in step 7), pop the whole thing in the fridge for 30 minutes or in the freezer for 15 minutes, uncovered. This step is crucial! Once the pie is completely chilled, place it on a baking sheet and prepare it for blind baking as directed in step 7 of my Perfect Pie Crust post.
    Bake the pie at 425 ° F for 15 minutes. Then, remove the pie from the oven and lift out the parchment paper with the weights. Brush the edges of the crust with egg wash, and return to the oven for 13-16 more minutes, until the crust is golden brown and sounds cooked and crisp when tapped with your finger. Let cool completely before adding the filling. I recommend making this the same day you plan to fill it, so that it doesn't start to lose it's freshness or crispness.
    Alternate Crust Options: You can also use my graham cracker crust, found here, or an oreo/chocolate cookie crust, found here. Bake as directed in these respective recipes, pressed into your 9-inch pie dish. Let cool before filling.
  • Make the French Silk Filling: Read through the directions before you begin so you understand the order of steps here. This won't be too complicated as long as you familiarize yourself with the steps first.
    Melt your chocolate in a small bowl, in 30 second intervals, stirring between each until completely smooth. Set aside to cool a bit.
    Choose a heat-safe bowl and set it over a small saucepan filled with 1 inch or so of water. Make sure it sits above the water. Add the eggs and granulated sugar to the bowl and whisk to combine. Bring the water in the pot to a simmer, and place the bowl of egg and sugar over it. Cook for 6 minutes, whisking constantly. Keep an eye on the temp with a candy thermometer while you go - the eggs are cooked at 160° F. Once it reaches that temperature, remove the bowl from the heat immediately. You can also rub a bit between your fingers to make sure the sugar granules have all dissolved. If you heat the eggs too high or too long, they'll scramble and you'll know it. Toss it out and try again. Set this aside to cool for 10 minutes.
    After 10 minutes, slowly whisk the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture. Set this aside to cool for 5 more minutes. While that's cooling, cream your butter in a large mixing bowl. Set aside. Then, add the heavy cream and vanilla to another large bowl, and mix until stiff peaks form. Pop this in the fridge for later.
    After the 5 minutes are up on the chocolate egg mixture, slowly pour it into the bowl with the butter with the mixer running on medium. Once it's all added, continue mixing the butter chocolate mixture on high speed for 5 minutes. The mixture will grow in volume and lighten in color. Carefully fold in the whipped cream until completely combined. (See folding tips + photos in the post above.)
  • Chill the Pie: Spread the filling into your room-temperature prepared crust, and cover with plastic wrap or foil. Pop in the fridge, and let chill for 4-6 hours before serving. I don't recommend making this farther than a day ahead.
  • Serve + Store: Make chocolate curls, if desired. These can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days.
    When ready to serve the pie, make the whipped cream by mixing all whipped cream ingredients together in a large bowl on high speed, just until stiff peaks form. Dollop this on your chilled pie, and top with chocolate shavings or curls. Enjoy!
    Leftovers keep in the fridge for 3-5 days, although this is better on the first or second day, as the crust can start to absorb moisture from the pie over time.
  • Make-Ahead Tips: Pie dough can be made up to 2 days ahead and kept in the fridge, well-wrapped. See additional make-ahead tip below, if using an alternate crust.

Notes

Graham Cracker: Use the crust from my Perfect Classic Cheesecake Recipe if you want a graham cracker crust - this is easier than making the homemade pie crust. Press it into an un-greased 9-inch pie dish, and bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees F. No need for foil or pie weights. Let cool completely before adding the filling. 
Oreo Chocolate Crust: Use the oreo crust from my Amazing No-Bake Peanut Butter Pie for a no-bake crust option! Press the mixture into an un-greased 9-inch pie dish, and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour before adding the filling.
Make-Ahead Tip: If you use the graham cracker or oreo crust, the pie can chill in the fridge for 1-2 days before serving since the crusts won't soak up the moisture the same way that a traditional pie crust will.