French Silk Pie

This FRENCH SILK PIE has a luxurious chocolate mousse filling and is topped with homemade whipped cream. It is decadent and rich, yet light and smooth- a crowd-pleaser for sure!

FRIENDS!!  Today is SO exciting because my sweet and beautiful friend Mallory is sharing her TO-DIE-FOR recipe and tips for French Silk Pie!  Mallory and I bonded quickly after meeting through our husbands (then-boyfriends), and it has been so fun to do life together these last four years. Not only is she an amazing cook and baker, but she has one of the most beautiful voices.  EVER.  Fun fact (that she never shares because she is so humble)- she was on Season 12 of American Idol!  She also recorded the song below as a surprise for her husband as she walked down the aisle at her wedding… cue the waterworks. 

Enough of me talking- here is Mallory!!!  Enjoy her singing and recipe!

Hi, y’all! I’m Mallory and I’m so happy to be guest blogging on A Slice of Sweet. Lexie and I met a few years ago through our husbands who were college buddies. We hit it off immediately and she has since become one of my dearest friends. Like Lexie, I’m a baking addict and lover of all things sweet, especially chocolate!

For as long as I can remember, my favorite dessert has been French Silk Pie! The Marie Callender’s frozen version was a dessert staple in our house growing up. It always made an appearance during holidays and on special occasions throughout the year. A couple of years ago, I decided it was time for me to master this infamous dessert, so I could indulge whenever I wanted. I’m excited to share with you guys this tried and true recipe – all hail it’s chocolatey goodness!

This pie is a chocolate lover’s dream. Rich, silky and oh so decadent chocolate mousse filling, piled high with fluffy whipped cream and topped with sweet chocolate curls. Every bite just melts in your mouth. It’s a perfect dessert for any occasion – a party, potluck or even a fancy dinner affair. Trust me, it’ll be a hit. People will go back for seconds. It’s just heavenly!

A few helpful tips about this recipe:

1. Start with the crust. Confession time – I love a good homemade pie crust, but making one can be time consuming. More often than not, I use a store-bought, unbaked pie shell for this recipe. Whether you go with homemade or store-bought, always start with your crust! It’s the only part of the pie that needs to be baked, so it’s important to make it first. Also, the crust needs to cool to room temperature before it gets filled and topped. If you’re in a hurry, you can put it in the refrigerator or freezer to speed up the cooling process.
2. Just beat it…alot. To ensure a silky smooth chocolate filling, you need to beat the filling quite a bit! The beating process ensures that the sugar dissolves properly, and the butter and eggs become light and airy. If you don’t beat enough, the filling will have a grainy texture. Also, you’ll want to use room temperature eggs and butter. This requires some planning ahead of time but it’s worth it. Your filling will be more evenly incorporated and result in a smoother, creamier texture.
3. Whipped cream that won’t budge. My recipe calls for stabilized whipped cream. This method produces classic, fluffy whipped cream, but because it uses a stabilizing agent, it will hold its shape. It won’t fall flat, melt or get all goopy if it sits in my fridge or on a countertop for awhile. The secret is a bit of unflavored gelatin. This won’t change the flavor or the texture of the whipped cream – it simply provides some staying power. You can find gelatin near the Jell-o in the baking aisle. You can definitely use store-bought whipped cream, like Cool Whip, for the topping, but just remember it won’t hold its shape like stabilized whipped cream.
4. Raw egg alert. This recipe does include raw eggs. You may want to use pasteurized eggs and/or avoid serving this recipe to those who are older or pregnant.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do. Big thanks to Lexie for letting me join the fun! Happy baking!

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French Silk Pie

This FRENCH SILK PIE has a luxurious chocolate mousse filling and is topped with homemade whipped cream. It is decadent and rich, yet light and smooth- a crowd-pleaser for sure!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword easy chocolate pie, french silk pie

Prep Time 45 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

Pie Filling:

• 4 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate
• 1 cup 2 sticks salted butter, softened at room temperature
• 1.5 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 whole eggs room temperature
• 1 package frozen pie shell baked

Whipped Cream:

• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon unflavored powdered gelatin
• 2 tablespoons cold water
• 1 tablespoon hot water

Chocolate Curl Ingredients:

• 3 ounces semisweet chocolate
• 1 tablespoon all-vegetable shortening such as Crisco

Instructions

Directions for pie filling:

1. In small microwave safe bowl, melt 4 ounces of unsweetened baking chocolate until stirrable (about 45 seconds on high then 15 second increments). Set aside to cool.
2. In a large bowl with an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat butter and sugar until fluffy (about 2-4 minutes). NOTE: make sure butter is very soft and at room temperature, and beat until sugar is entirely dissolved, or the chocolate mousse will be grainy.
3. When melted chocolate is completely cooled, drizzle it over the butter/sugar mixture. Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Beat the mixture thoroughly until combined.
4. Turn your mixer to medium speed and over a period of 15 to 20 minutes, add in the four eggs, one at a time, leaving about 5 minutes between each egg addition. After all eggs have been added and pie filling is well mixed, pour it into the baked pie shell. Smooth out the pie filling and place pie in the refrigerator to chill for at least two hours, preferably longer.
5. Once pie is chilled, top with a thick layer of whipped cream and garnish with chocolate curls.

Directions for whipped cream:

1. Soften gelatin on 2 tablespoons of cold water for about 2 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of hot water and stir to dissolve gelatin. Let cool while you mix the whipping cream and sugar in a bowl to soft peaks. Add gelatin mixture to whipped cream and fold in gently. Pile whipped cream onto top of pie and refrigerate.

Directions for chocolate curls:

1. Put the chocolate and vegetable shortening into a microwave-safe bowl. Place in microwave until the melted and hot, about 45 seconds (if still not melted, heat for 15 additional seconds as needed.) Stir with fork to combine thoroughly.
2. Next, pour the melted chocolate over the underside of a clean cookie sheet. Then, with an an offset spatula, spread the chocolate in a very thin layer. Then, stick it in the freezer for a few minutes to harden.
3. After a few minutes, check if the chocolate is ready by pressing it with your finger tip. It should leave the slightest mark, but not an actual depression.
4. Next, get a sharp-edged spatula and scrape the chocolate from the bottom of the pan. When the chocolate is just the right temperature, it'll curl instead of break. If it gets too soft, stick it back in the freezer for a minute.
5. Transfer each curl to a cold pan or plate, and then stick them in the freezer to harden. Once hardened, sprinkle the curls on top of the whipped cream and serve!

Recipe Notes

Adapted from The Pioneer Woman.