CHOCOLATE CHERRY PIE

Crust: 

1½ cups all-purpose flour

½ tablespoon sugar

½ teaspoon kosher or sea salt

¼ cup Crisco butter flavored all-vegetable shortening, chilled and cut into small pieces

¼ cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

¼ cup cold water (more or less if needed)     

1 egg yolk and 1 teaspoon water for egg wash

Cooking spray

1.                  All ingredients should be cold.  Combine all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.  Add shortening and butter.  Using a pastry blender, cut in the shortening and butter until the mixture resembles course meal. 

2.                  Drop by drop, add the cold water.  Mix in with the finger tips not hands as the palms will warm the dough.  Continue mixing water in until the dough begins to hold together without being sticky but not crumbly. 

3.                  Place dough in plastic wrap.  Fold over plastic wrap and press down to form a disk.  This will make rolling out easier after chilling.  Finish warping in plastic and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.   

4.                  Lightly spray a deep 9-inch pie pan or 8 ½ fluted flan pan with cooking spray.  Roll out dough and place in pie plate, allowing the excess pastry to hang over the edge.  Cut away excess dough, tuck under, and decoratively crimp.  Brush with egg wash.  Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.     

5.                  Preheat the oven to 425F degrees.  Line the pie crust with parchment and baking beans or beads.  Bake the crust for 10 minutes.  Remove the paper and beans and cool on rack.  Bake an additional 10 minutes until golden.  Cool on a wire rack.  Makes pastry for 9-inch single-crust pie. 

Filling: 

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

½ teaspoon sea salt

1 (21 ounces) can cherry pie filling

½ teaspoon pure almond extract

Maraschino cherries

1. In a heavy bottom saucepan over low heat, combine condensed milk, chocolate chips and salt.  Stir gently until chocolate melts.  Fold in the cherry pie filling and almond extract. 
2. Remove from heat and pour into prepared pie crust.   Chill in refrigerator for at least 4 hours or until filling is firm.  Garnish with Sweetened Whipped Cream (see recipe under Decorating Pie chapter) and maraschino cherries.  Serves 8-10

PIEMALING ~ Pie Art

Piemaling: 

1 top crust dough, rolled out

Stencil

Cinnamon sugar

Assorted spices

Cocoa

Sanding sugar, assorted colors

Food color dusting powder

1 egg yolk and 1 teaspoon water for egg wash

For Sprinkling over Stencil

·      Prepare crust for two crust pie.  Before attaching top curst, place stencil on top of rolled out dough.  Slowly roll over the stencil with rolling pin to adhere stencil to dough.  Brush over stencil with egg wash.  Using sugars, spices, and cocoa, or dusting powder, sprinkle over open areas of the stencil.  If dough becomes too warm, place in refrigerator to chill.  Carefully remove stencil being mindful not to spill excess sprinkling items outside of stencil.  Attach top crust, vent, crimp and bake per recipes instructions. 

For Applying Food Coloring Dusting Powder

·      Prepare crust for two crust pie.  Before attaching top curst, place stencil on top of rolled out dough.  Slowly roll over the stencil with rolling pin to adhere stencil to dough.  Using a dry brush, apply dusting powder to open areas of stencil.  You may need to apply a small amount of water to open area first if pie dough is too dry.  Be creative with your color choices and blending for realistic effects.  Dusting powder will adhere to the oils in the dough.  If dough becomes too warm, place in refrigerator to chill.  Carefully remove stencil being mindful not to spill excess dusting powders outside of stencil.  Attach top crust, vent, crimp and bake per recipes instructions.