Recipe: Chocolate Cream Pie with Peanut Brittle Topping

Chocolate Cream Pie with Peanut Brittle

(From Danielle Keene of Bittersweet Treats)

Serves 8

Pudding Ingredients

2 ½ cups whole milk

2 tbsp. cornstarch

¼ cup cocoa powder

½ cup sugar

1 egg

2 egg yolks

4 oz. bittersweet chocolate

2 tbsp. butter

Directions:

In a saucepan, heat 2 cups of milk to a simmer. In a separate bowl, whisk cornstarch, cocoa powder, sugar, egg and yolks with remaining ½ cup milk. Temper hot milk into egg mixture. Return to heat and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Reduce heat, and continue to simmer for 2 minutes, custard should thicken. Add chocolate and butter, whisk until smooth. Strain.

Pour over pie crust and chill for 3 hours.

Top with fresh whipped cream and peanut brittle.

Pie Crust

2 2/3 cup all purpose flour

2/3 cup cocoa powder

2 tsp. baking soda

11 oz. butter

1 cup brown sugar

½ cup sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

Sift dry ingredients. Cream butter with sugars. Add salt and vanilla. Slowly add dries. Shape dough into a log. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill until firm. Slice dough 1/ 4  inch thick and bake 15 min at 350. Cool. Process in food processor until ground to fine crumb. Combine with ¼ granulated sugar and ½ melted butter. Add enough butter until mixture lightly holds together but is not greasy. Press into pie tin and bake for 10 min. Cool.

Peanut Brittle Topping.

1 tsp. water

1 tsp. vanilla

1 ½ tsp. baking soda

1 cup water

1 cup corn syrup

1 ½ cups sugar

1 lb peanuts

½ oz butter

Combine water, vanilla and baking soda. Combine 1 cup water, corn syrup, and sugar in a medium sauce pan. Bring to 240 degrees on a candy thermometer. Add nuts and butter, stirring constantly. Bring to 300. Add baking soda mixture. Mix quickly and pour out onto two silpat lined sheet trays. Spread thinly with metal off set spatula. Cool.  Break into pieces.