Black Forest Pie

The Make People Cheat on Their Diets Pie

I took this pie to a good friend’s holiday party this weekend, and I don’t think I’ve ever had so many people break their diets or make special amends for a dessert. It was awesome. Look, I’m not a fan of coercing people off their healthy eating plans (Hey, you’re reading the blog of your own volition ;-). Hell, I’ve spent more of my life than I care to think about counting calories, and I owe the continued maintenance of my weight loss to my friends understanding that occasionally (ok, frequently) I’m going to say no to most high calorie party food and drink and just enjoy the socialization. But my personal philosophy is, if you’re going to eat something, whatever that may be, make it something you’re really going to enjoy.

When I look back, I don’t regret eating too much high calorie food as much as I regret all the junky, mediocre food I ate. All the times I finished eating something that cost me hundreds and hundreds of calories and thought “That just wasn’t worth not fitting into my pants tomorrow.” If I’m not going to fit into my pants, then dammit, it’s going to be because I ate some fantastically amazing stuff! And this pie? Amazing. Dark chocolate! Tart cherries! Boozy rum whipped cream — yar!

See that mangled, half-eaten piece of pie up there? I had to wrestle that away from someone to just to get a picture of the sliced pie before it was completely obliterated. Two words this holiday season? Worth It.

BLACK FOREST PIE

Note: This recipe calls for a deep dish pie pan, at least 2 1/2″ deep. If you are using a regular pan, cut ingredients by approximately 25%.

Chocolate Wafer Crust

1 3/4 cups chocolate wafer cookie crumbs
1 stick butter
1/3 cup sugar

Heat oven to 350°.

Place wafer cookies in a plastic zip bag and work out your aggressions with a rolling-pin until cookies have been reduced to fine crumbs. Melt the butter and mix thoroughly with 2 cups of crumbs (there’ll be some leftover in the bag), and sugar. Press firmly into the bottom and sides of a greased 10″ pie pan. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes. Bake at 350° for 10 min. Remove from oven; let cool completely, then place in the freezer.

Dark Chocolate Filling (from “Black-Bottom Chocolate Pie” from Epicurious)

2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
6 large egg yolks
2 cups milk
1/2 cup whipping cream
6 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 tbsp dark rum
1 tsp vanilla

Whisk first 4 ingredients in heavy medium saucepan to blend. Whisk in egg yolks to form thick paste. Gradually whisk in milk, then cream. Whisk over medium-high heat until mixture thickens and boils 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and whisk until smooth. Whisk in rum and vanilla. Cool 5 minutes, whisking occasionally. Poor into prepared crust. Chill until cold, at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.

Cherry Filling

4 cups pitted cherries, about 2 pounds
Juice from 1/2 a lemon
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch

In a saucepan over medium heat, stir together cherries, lemon juice, sugar, and cornstarch. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken. Cool before spreading evenly on top of chocolate filling.

Whipped Cream

1 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup confectioners sugar
1 tbsp rum
1 teaspoon vanilla

Whisk together whipping cream, rum, vanilla, and sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form (frosting consistency). Pipe or spread onto finished pie to decorate as desired.