- 1
Ingredients
- Filling:
- Pastry for a single crust pie, baked and cooled
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup corn starch
- 2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- Pinch of salt
- 2 cups dairy-free culinary coconut milk (or heavy cream, if not dairy-free)
- 4 egg yolks (Save whites up to 5 days in a covered dish in the fridge for another use; or make that meringue to top your pie!)
- 2 Tablespoons black coffee (or Cognac, if you prefer; either lends a richer flavor and depth to the filling)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon dairy-free butter substitute (or real butter, if not dairy-free)
Preparation
Step 1
Before you begin, have your eggs separated and the yolks in a small bowl on your counter top.
In a large saucepan over medium heat, whisk sugar, corn starch, cocoa and salt.
Whisk in milk until mixture is smooth.
Cook, whisking occasionally, until mixture begins to gently bubble and thicken.
Remove saucepan from heat, and whisk a Tablespoon of the hot mixture into the egg yolks – this is tempering the yolks so they do not cook when added to the hot filling mixture – it is a necessary step.
Add another Tablespoon of the hot mixture to the egg yolks, again whisking vigorously to incorporate the filling into the yolks without cooking them.
Repeat with a third Tablespoon of filling, then return the saucepan to low heat and whisk the egg yolk/filling mixture into the saucepan.
Cook 1 minute, whisking, then remove from heat and add coffee (or Cognac), vanilla and butter. Stir to blend.
Transfer filling to a clean bowl and cover with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap onto the surface of the filling, to avoid formation of a skim.
Cool filling to room temperature, stir, then pour into baked, cooled crust.
Top as desired and refrigerate until pie is cold (up to 4 hours), then slice and serve.