Chocolate Pudding Pie

Pastry

Step 1

Blend 1¼ cups (156 g) all-purpose flour, 6 Tbsp. (¾ stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½” cubes, 2 Tbsp. cold vegetable shortening, and ¼ tsp. kosher salt in a medium bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) just until mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size butter lumps. Drizzle 2 Tbsp. ice-cold water evenly over mixture and gently stir with a fork (or pulse) until incorporated.

Step 2

Squeeze a small handful of pie dough: If it doesn't hold together, add more ice water, 1 Tbsp. at a time, stirring until incorporated. (Do not overwork dough or pastry will be tough.)

Step 3

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 4 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather all of dough together, with a pastry scraper if you have one, and form into a 5-inch disk. Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.

Step 4

Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into an 11-inch round, then fit into a 9” pie plate. Trim edge, leaving a ½” overhang, then fold overhang under and crimp edge decoratively. Prick bottom and side of shell all over with a fork, then chill shell 30 minutes.

Step 5

While pie shell chills, preheat oven to 375°F with a baking sheet on middle rack.

Step 6

Line shell with aluminum foil or parchment paper and fill with pie weights. Transfer pie pan to hot baking sheet and bake until pastry is set and edge is pale golden, about 25 minutes. Carefully remove weights and foil or parchment, then continue to bake on baking sheet until shell is pale golden all over, 15 to 20 minutes more. Cool shell.

Pie filling and assembly

Step 7

Whisk ¼ cup (28 g) cornstarch, ⅓ cup (67 g) sugar, 3 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder, and ¼ tsp. kosher salt in a 2-quart heavy saucepan, then gradually whisk in 3 cups whole milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly, then boil, whisking, 2 minutes (mixture will thicken). Remove from heat and whisk in 4 oz. bittersweet chocolate (not more than 60% cacao), finely chopped, and 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract until smooth.

Step 8

Pour warm chocolate pudding filling into cooled shell and refrigerate, its surface covered with plastic wrap, until cold, at least 2 hours.

Step 9

Just before serving, beat 1 cup chilled heavy cream with remaining 2 Tbsp. sugar until it just holds soft peaks. Spoon onto pie.

Do ahead: Pastry dough can be chilled up to 2 days. Pie shell can be baked 1 day ahead; cool, then wrap loosely and store at room temperature. Pie (without whipped cream) can be chilled up to 1 day ahead.

Editor’s note: This recipe was first printed in the August 2010 issue of ‘Gourmet,’ Head this way for more of our best Thanksgiving dessert recipes →