Shoofy Pie

From “Magpie” by Holly Ricciardi and Miriam Harris

½ recipe Magpie Dough for Flaky Pie Crust, chilled overnight

1 cup all-purpose flour

¾ cup packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon fine salt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

½ cup mild molasses

½ cup dark corn syrup

1 large egg, beaten

1 teaspoon baking soda

Roll, pan and flute the dough. Set the pan in the refrigerator and chill the shell while you make the filling.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees with a rack in the center. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Whisk flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, black pepper and salt together in a medium bowl. Add the butter, and use your hands to blend until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Measure out ¼ cup and reserve for crumb topping. Add molasses, dark corn syrup and egg into the mixture remaining in the bowl, whisking until well combined.

Bring a small kettle of water to a boil. Use a heatproof measuring cup to measure out 1 cup of boiling water.

Slowly add ¾ cup of the water to the molasses mixture, pouring in a thin stream and whisking to combine.

Add the baking soda to the ¼ cup water remaining in the measuring cup and stir until dissolved. Whisk the baking soda into the molasses mixture and stir until uniformly incorporated and smooth.

Retrieve the chilled shell from the refrigerator and set the pan on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Carefully pour the molasses filling into the pie shell. Sprinkle the reserved crumb mixture evenly across the top. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake the pie 10 minutes, then rotate the pie, lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake 35 to 40 minutes more, or until the filling is puffed and set.

Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and let the pie cool completely to room temperature. Slice and serve, or cover with plastic wrap and keep at room temperature for up to three days. Before serving, rewarm 5 to 10 minutes in a 350-degree oven, if desired.

Makes: 1 (9-inch) pie

Café Mocha Pie

From “Magpie” by Holly Ricciardi and Miriam Harris

½ recipe Magpie Dough for Flaky Pie Crust, chilled overnight

4 ounces semisweet chocolate

2 tablespoons instant coffee

2½ cups whole milk, divided

¾ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup cornstarch

¼ teaspoon fine salt

4 large egg yolks

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1¼ teaspoons unflavored powdered gelatin

1 cup heavy cream

Lightly sweetened freshly whipped cream, for serving

Shaved chocolate, for serving

Roll, pan and flute the dough, then fully pre-bake the crust. Set the pan on a wire rack to cool while you make the filling.

To make the mocha custard, chop the chocolate and set it aside in a medium bowl.

Combine the instant coffee and 2¼ cups of the milk in a medium saucepan and set over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is steaming (do not boil!). Keep warm over very low heat.

Whisk the sugar, cornstarch, and salt together in a mixing bowl. Whisk in the egg yolks until the mixture is smooth and pale. Immediately measure out 1 cup of the hot milk mixture and slowly whisk it into the yolk mixture, pouring in a thin stream and whisking constantly until combined.

Turn the heat under the saucepan back up to medium and slowly add the tempered yolks, pouring in a thin stream and whisking constantly. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens to a pudding consistency and a few large bubbles rise to the surface, about 5 minutes. Once the bubbles appear, continue cooking the custard, whisking constantly, for 2 more minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla.

Measure out 1 cup of the hot custard, add it to the chopped chocolate and let stand 2 minutes, then whisk until smooth and creamy. Scoop the mocha custard into the prepared pie shell, spreading evenly. Transfer the pie to the refrigerator to chill and set the mocha custard (10 to 15 minutes) while you make the café mousse.

To make the café mousse, sprinkle the gelatin onto the surface of the remaining ¼ cup milk and let soften for 5 minutes.

Transfer the remaining custard from the saucepan to a medium bowl and whisk in the bloomed gelatin. Refrigerate until cool, 15 to 20 minutes, whisking at 5-minute intervals to prevent the edges from setting.

Whip the cream to medium peaks.

Whisk one-third of the whipped cream into the cooled custard, then gently fold in the remaining whipped cream, just until faint white streaks remain.

Retrieve the pie from the refrigerator. Spread the mousse evenly over the mocha custard layer, smoothing the top. Cover the pie with plastic wrap, return it to the refrigerator, and chill overnight (at least 8 hours and up to 3 days) before slicing and serving, cold, with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

Makes: 1 (9-inch) pie

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Mousse Pie with Pretzel Crust

From “Magpie” by Holly Ricciardi and Miriam Harris

½ recipe Magpie Dough for Flaky Pie Crust, chilled overnight

1 (4-ounce) bar semisweet chocolate

⅓ cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

⅔ cup whole milk, divided

¾ cup creamy peanut butter

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon unflavored powdered gelatin

1½ cups heavy cream

Pretzel Crunch, for topping (See recipe below)

Lightly sweetened freshly whipped cream, for serving (optional)

Roll, pan, and flute the dough, then fully pre-bake the pie crust. Set the pan on a wire rack and let the shell cool to room temperature while you make the filling.

To make the filling, coarsely chop the chocolate and set it aside in a large bowl.

Combine the sugar and 7 tablespoons of the milk in a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until steaming (do not boil). Whisk in the peanut butter until smooth.

Take the pan off the heat and pour the hot milk mixture over the chocolate, whisking until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Whisk in the salt.

Pour the remaining milk (you’ll have about 3 to 4 tablespoons) into a small microwavable bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin onto the surface of the milk and let stand 5 minutes, then microwave at half power for 10 seconds to ensure that the gelatin is dissolved (the mixture should feel smooth between your fingertips).

Whisk the bloomed gelatin into the warm chocolate peanut butter mixture. Set aside to cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally to help cool the mixture evenly and prevent it from setting around the edges. (Don’t leave it sitting after it’s cooled or it will stiffen.) Whip the cream to medium peaks. Gently fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture in thirds, mixing the last third just until no white streaks remain. Scoop the mousse into the prepared crust, smoothing the top. Cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight (at least 8 hours or up to 3 days) before slicing and serving.

To serve the pie, cut into 8 equal slices, leaving the slices in the pan, then top the entire pie with pretzel crunch, pressing the topping lightly into the mousse. Use a pie server to slide each slice onto a serving plate. Garnish with a dollop of whipped cream, if desired.

Makes: 1 (9-inch) pie

Pretzel Crunch

From “Magpie” by Holly Ricciardi and Miriam Harris

4 ounces thin pretzel sticks 

⅓ cup packed light brown sugar 

½ teaspoon kosher salt 

7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees with a rack in the center. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, toss together the pretzels, sugar, and salt. Add the melted butter and toss until evenly coated. Spread the pretzels on the prepared baking sheet and bake 20 minutes, stirring halfway through.

Leave the pretzel crunch on the tray to cool completely to room temperature. Once cooled, break apart any large clusters. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

 

 

 

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