German chocolate pie has the same flavors as its classic cousin, the German chocolate cake. So if you like the cake, you’re gonna love the pie with its smooth and creamy chocolate base and a crunchy pecan and coconut topping.

I used Venetian chocolate in my pie because that’s my favorite, but you can use your favorite. We have at our store a huge variety of chocolate.

Serve this pie for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any special occasion. It’s sure to be a hit!

German Chocolate Pie

• Pastry for single crust pie (9-inch)
• 4 ounces good quality milk chocolate, chopped
• 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Topping:

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup butter, cubed
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans

Instructions:

1. Place the pie crust in a 9 inch pie pan and crimp the edges. Chill for 30 minutes. Blind bake by lining the crust with aluminum foil. Add pie weights and bake at 375 degrees F for 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven and lift the foil with the pie weights out of the crust. Bake for another 7-10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
2. In a microwave, melt chocolates in a large bowl; stir until smooth. Cool slightly. Whisk in milk, egg yolks and vanilla; stir in pecans. Pour into crust. Bake 16-19 minutes or until set. Cool 1 hour on a wire rack.
3. Meanwhile, in a small heavy saucepan, combine brown sugar, cream and butter. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat.
4. In a small bowl, whisk a small amount of hot mixture into egg yolks; return all to pan, whisking constantly. Cook 2-3 minutes or until mixture thickens and a thermometer reads 160°, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in coconut and vanilla; cool 10 minutes.
5. Pour over filling; sprinkle with pecans. Refrigerate 4 hours or until cold.

I think French Silk Pie is one of those desserts that, because of its name, seems really fancy and decadent — which it is — but also difficult to make –which it is not. This fudgy, creamy pie is actually not French, but American. It was born in 1951 as a Pillsbury Bake-Off competition runner-up, but because of how smooth, creamy, and rich it is it got the name French Silk.

This is the perfect pie to make for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s or really any celebration. I used Venitian milk chocolate, which you can find at our store. This is my favorite milk chocolate, but you can use your favorite. Feel free to use a semisweet or a dark chocolate too if you’d prefer. After all, this is your pie and we have an amazingly large and high-quality supply of chocolate that is great for not only chocolate and candy-making, but also for all of your baking needs.

French Silk Pie

• Pastry for single crust pie (9-inch)
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup milk chocolate (6 ounces by weight)
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 egg yolks, beaten
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 cup whipped cream

Instructions:

1. Place the pie crust in a 9 inch pie pan and crimp the edges. Chill for 30 minutes. Blind bake by lining the crust with aluminum foil. Add pie weights and bake at 375 degrees F for 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and lift the foil with the pie weights out of the crust. Bake for another 7-10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
2. In a medium heavy saucepan combine 1 cup heavy cream, chocolate, butter, and sugar. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until chocolate is melted (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat. Add a couple tablespoons of the hot mixture into the egg yolks. Stir and add a little more hot mixture until you have about half of the hot mixture combined with the egg yolks. This tempers the egg yolks to prevent them from cooking into hard bits instead of being smooth and creamy. Return egg mixture to chocolate mixture in saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture is slightly thickened and begins to bubble. Remove from heat. Stir in the 3 tablespoons of heavy cream.
3. If desired, and to achieve a smoother pie, pour chocolate mixture through a fine sieve into a medium bowl. Place the bowl in a larger bowl of ice water, stirring occasionally, until the mixture stiffens and becomes hard to stir (about 20 minutes). Alternately, you can put it in the freezer, stirring occasionally until it stiffens and becomes hard to stir.
4. Beat chocolate mixture with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 2 to 3 minutes or until light and fluffy.
5. Spread filling into the baked pie shell.
6. Cover and chill for 5 to 24 hours.
7. Before serving, top with whipped cream and shaved chocolate as a garnish.

 

Wait! Don’t go just yet. Vinegar pie is much better than it sounds. This type of pie is what we call a desperation pie. I times of hardship (the Great Depression, pioneer times, etc.) people are still people and people like to have something sweet every once in a while. It helps to keep spirits up and provide a little comfort. So during times like those, some people got very creative with just what they had in their pantry. And that’s where we get vinegar pie.

It’s definitely not fancy and I can’t even say it’s decadent, but it’s good. The vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar) provides some tartness and flavor, much like lemon juice would. The sugar sweetens it up, the nutmeg adds a little more flavor, and the eggs set it. Simple as that. I encourage you to cast aside your doubts and give it a try. Trust me, it’s a lot better than it sounds and it doesn’t taste like vinegar at all.

Vinegar Pie

• Pastry for 9-inch pie
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Instructions

1. Place the pie crust in a 9 inch pie pan and crimp the edges. Chill for 30 minutes. Blind bake by lining the crust with aluminum foil. Add pie weights and bake at 375 degrees F for 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and lift the foil with the pie weights out of the crust. Bake for another 7-10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
2. Adjust oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
3. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, butter, vinegar, and nutmeg. Whisk well to combine, then pour into pre-baked pie shell.
4. Bake pie for 30-40 minutes, or until pie is set, but wiggles a little in the middle when jiggled.
5. Cool to room temperature then refrigerate until cool and firm. Serve.