The Best Chocolate Pie Filling from my Grandma-in-law!

5.13.10

I couldn't miss talking about Mother's Day. It's just a little delayed..

I didn't spend time with my mom because she resides in Thailand. They have a Mother's Day in Thailand too but on a different date in August.

First, I would not have known it was Mother's Day last Sunday if I hadn't found out from the events page of the non-profit organization I volunteer for..Oops..Second, it wasn't too sad since I usually celebrate it in August - plus I have my in-laws here who are like my mother.  Therefore, for Mother's Day this year I planned to spend quality time with both my mother-in-law and of course my grandma-in-law.

Mary Ann

Speaking of grandma, she makes the best pumpkin pie..ever..It became a traditional dessert from her for Thanksgiving. Not only is her pumpkin pie good but also her chocolate pie. I don't remember when I had her chocolate pie first but all I could remember was it was so good! The filling has some kind of bubble and air feeling when you bite into it, and it's sort of bouncy texture is from gelatin. It didn't take me long to come up with the activity I would do with her -- the chocolate pie mini class was set!

Oh, her name is Mary Ann but I prefer to call her grandma instead of by her name. Grandma was excited to show me how to make the chocolate pie and so was I! When we got to their place, the warm welcome hug was wonderful.

I was thrilled to capture her photos and I think she was nervous, hahaha. She kept asking me if it was okay to show this and that - so cute! Well, I hope you enjoy her recipe and her teaching skills!

This tea set is about 100 something years old. Whoa..

We started off with the apron! She asked if it was okay for her to wear it. Absolutely yes, since this blog is I Just Love My Apron, grandma!. It was kinda hilarious for me.

Her cookbook! You can tell she has gotten good use out of it.

Grandma made the pie crust from a box. She said it was more convenient and saved time for people her age, plus it tasted good (Even though I am probably expected to make pie crust from scratch, I sort of agree with her on this..oops..) If you'd like to make a pie crust from scratch, we have a recipe for you here too. I've made this over and over again. I got the recipe from Ree The Pioneer Woman which helps guarantee that it...is...goooood. Bake the crust in the oven at 425 F for 12 mins.

After the crust is done, let it cool on the rack. While cooling, let's move on to the filling. She started by beating 3 egg yolks with 1/2 cup of sugar. When you add sugar, add it gradually so that the sugar can dissolve and mix in with the yolk. Also, dissolve the gelatin with water. Grate chocolate and set aside.

She beat the yolk in the sink. The counter is too high for her height. I think it was really cute!

 After the preparation of the yolk, gelatin, and chocolate, it was time to melt the chocolate. Grandma told me about her versatile pot (from the above photo). She has used this pot for years and it's still workable. She boiled the chocolate in this pot. I told her nowadays most people would use a double boiler. However, her way to use this pot was to add a little water too.

Melt the chocolate in boiled water, add the yolk mixture, salt, and gelatin mixture

Turn off the heat and let it cool about 15 mins.  We can start beating the egg white with sugar for about 10 mins. Don't beat the egg white far in advance, it will lose the foamy texture.

Beat until it forms a stiff peak. Test it by pulling the mixture out and seeing if it forms the peak

Then, fold the egg white mixture into the chocolate mixture. The trick is to "fold". Fold it back and forth until it's all mixed.

Spoon underneath the chocolate and turn it back around

And...we're ready to finish the pie! Grandma was telling me about her cooking, life, and etc. during the process.  It was fun to listen to her stories.

Put the finished chocolate pie in the fridge, then wait until it's totally chilled and the filling is firm. Grandma did all the work, but we got almost the full pie to take back home - lucky us!

The boys were hanging out in the living room, and waiting to dive into the pie

Finally, it was done! Yay. The class was a success. The teacher and student had a really good time. Thanks Mary Ann for taking the time to show me and tell me all the stories. I had an awesome Mother's Day this year.

Afterwards, we headed to my husband's parents' house for Mother's Day dinner and the birthday of my brother-in-law. What a Mother's Day!!

Grandma-in-law's Best Chocolate Pie Filling

Yield: 2 8-inch pies

Ingredients:

3 eggs, we will use both yolk and white
1 cup sugar, divide
1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup water (to dissolve gelatin)
2, 1 oz squares unsweetened chocolate, grated
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

• Beat the yolk with 1/2 cup of sugar about 3 mins, gradually add sugar while beating, then set a side
• Dissolve gelatin in cold water, stir till it dissolves, then set aside
• Bring 1/2 cup of water in a saucepan to a boil and add chocolate. Stir until it all melts. You can go with your "nowadays way" by simmering the chocolate over hot water, or use a double boiler. Add 1/2 cup of boiling water to the melted chocolate
• Remove from the heat, add the yolk mixture, salt, and gelatin. Bring it to a boil again. Mix well then turn off the heat.
• Cool the mixture on a rack. Wait until it's almost completely chilled for about 15 mins. Don't beat the egg white far in advance otherwise it will lose the foamy texture
• Start beating the egg white with 1/2 cup sugar, gradually add the sugar while beating egg white. Beat for about 10 mins until it makes a stiff peak (see photo above)
• Fold in egg white mixture to chocolate mixture. Do not stir. Just fold it in by spooning underneath the chocolate and turning it back around until it's all mixed
• Pour into the pie crust and let it chill in the fridge until it's completely cool and firmed up.
• Serve with whipped cream