Nutella Icebox Pie

By LRay

The Local Palate, November 2014, page 126.

From Tiffany MacIsaac of Buttercream Bakeshop in Washington, DC

Photo by Jonathan Timmes

Ingredients

• For Crust
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 sticks plus 2 tablespoons cubed butter, chilled
• 5 –6 tablespoons chilled water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons vodka
• For Nutella Cream
• 12 ounces chilled cream cheese
• 1/3 cup sugar, divided
• 1 3/4 cups Nutella or other hazelnut spread
• 7 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 cups chopped, toasted hazelnuts
• For Frangelico Whipped Cream
• 1 cup heavy cream, chilled
• 1 1/2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup Frangelico liquor

Details

Servings 3
Adapted from localpalatemag.com

Preparation

Step 1

Directions

For Crust

Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Add butter and use hands or pastry cutter to cut butter into the flour. Combine until butter is no longer visible, but stop before dough starts to come together. Alternatively, you can use a standing mixer with a paddle attachment to cut butter into flour, but keep it on low speed and don’t overmix.

Add 5 tablespoons chilled water and vodka and use hands to bring together into a dough. If it seems dry, add last tablespoon of water 1 teaspoon at a time.

Divide dough into two balls and allow it to rest at room temperature (yes, you read that right: room temperature) for 1–6 hours. This recipe requires 1 par-baked shell. If you have extra dough, wrap in plastic and reserve refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 1 month.

Roll out one ball of the dough to fit into pie pan. Place dough in pan and pierce bottom all over with a fork. Decorate edges as desired and chill for 30­–45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line shell pie with parchment, then fill with pie weights, rice, or beans. Parbake for 20 minutes, then remove weights, pierce again with a fork, and bake an additional 10–12 minutes, until baked through.

For Nutella Cream

Place cream cheese and half of sugar in a bowl and cream until smooth, scraping 2–3 times to make sure all is incorporated. Do not aerate, just mix until smooth.

Add Nutella and mix until combined. Then mix an additional 1 minute to slightly lighten.

Add chocolate slowly while machine is running and mix until combined.

Combine eggs, vanilla, salt, and remaining sugar in a separate bowl and whisk until thick and pale. Add slowly to chocolate mixture and mix to combine. Mix in hazelnuts.

Use a spatula to fold mixture, making sure everything is evenly distributed. Pour into parbaked pie shell and spread evenly. Allow to chill for 1–2 hours to set.

For Frangelico Whipped Cream

Combine all in bowl and whip until stiff peaks form.

Place on pie and top with chopped hazelnuts if desired.