Recipe Index

Ingredients

• 1¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
• 6 Tbsp. (¾ stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½” cubes
• 2 Tbsp. cold vegetable shortening
• ¼ tsp. kosher salt
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• ⅓ cup plus 2 Tbsp. sugar, divided
• 3 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¼ tsp. kosher salt
• 3 cups whole milk
• 4 oz. bittersweet chocolate (not more than 60% cacao), finely chopped
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup chilled heavy cream
• Bittersweet chocolate shavings for garnish (optional)
• Special Equipment: Pie weights or dried beans

Method

1. Rub the all-purpose flour, cold butter cubes, cold vegetable shortening and quarter teaspoon of kosher salt together with your fingertips, or pulse them in a processor, until the mixture looks like coarse meal with some pea-size butter lumps, then stir in two tablespoons of ice-cold water.
2. Squeeze a handful of the pastry and add more ice water a tablespoon at a time only if it will not hold together, taking care not to overwork the dough.
3. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, divide it into four portions, smear each portion forward once or twice with the heel of your hand, then gather everything into a 5-inch disk, wrap it and chill it for at least an hour.
4. Roll the chilled disk into an 11-inch round on the floured surface, ease it into a 9-inch pie plate, fold the half-inch overhang under, crimp the edge, prick the shell all over with a fork and chill it for 30 minutes.
5. Heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit with a baking sheet on the middle rack, line the shell with foil or parchment and pie weights, and bake it on the hot sheet for about 25 minutes until the pastry is set and the edge is pale gold.
6. Lift out the weights and lining and bake the shell for a further 15 to 20 minutes until it is pale golden all over, then leave the pastry case to cool.
7. Whisk the cornstarch, third of a cup of sugar, cocoa powder and quarter teaspoon of kosher salt in a heavy saucepan, gradually whisk in the whole milk, and bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly, then boil it for 2 minutes as it thickens.
8. Off the heat, whisk the finely chopped bittersweet chocolate and vanilla extract into the pudding until it is smooth, pour the warm filling into the cooled shell, cover its surface with plastic wrap and refrigerate the pie for at least 2 hours.
9. Just before serving the pudding pie, beat the chilled heavy cream with the remaining two tablespoons of sugar to soft peaks, spoon the cream over the cold chocolate filling, and finish the top with bittersweet chocolate shavings if you are using them.

Cook: 30 minutes · Total: 5 hours (includes chilling)

Nutrition (per serving, where published)

Estimated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient data