Pistachio-Crusted Mint Chocolate Cream Pie

This pie is a triple Saint Patrick’s Day treat with the green pistachio crust, minty chocolate filling, and green clover on top. It is also a healthy option because it contains no refined sugars and no added fats. It is still creamy and tasty. The avocado clover on top is optional, but it does add a nice presentation and you don’t really taste the avocado too much.

Pistachio-Crusted Mint Chocolate Cream Pie

CRUST

1 cup unsalted pistachios

½ cup golden raisins

1-2 Tablespoons water

FILLING

3 cups milk (non-dairy will work)

¼ cup cornstarch

¼ cup maple syrup

3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon mint (peppermint) extract

TOPPING

½ ripe avocado

2 Tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon lemon juice

CRUST: Pulse the nuts and raisins until well grounded. Dribble in the water, a little at a time, until mixture just begins to come together. Press into a nine inch pie plate.

FILLING: In a medium saucepan, whisk together one cup of milk and the cornstarch. Whisk in the remaining milk, then the maple syrup and cocoa. Bring mixture to a boil, then boil lightly for about eight minutes until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the mint extract. Pour into prepared crust and place a piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap directly on the filling to prevent a skin from forming. Cool, then chill for a few hours until firm.

TOPPING: Mash together the avocado, honey, and juice until smooth. Spread in a clover pattern on top of the filling. Garnish with additional pistachios.

 

Chocolate Cream Pie

Cheater Chocolate Cream Pie
1 prebaked pie shell - you can use a refrigerated or frozen pie crust, dock it, and bake it yourself; use a prepared graham crumb or chocolate wafer crust; or make your own crust of choice
scant 2 cups milk
1 package (4 serving size) instant chocolate pudding mix
prepared topping - you may use frozen thawed whipped topping, a can of whipped topping, a prepared package of whipped topping, real whipped cream, or prepared frosting

Place the milk in a bowl. I like to use a little less than the two full cups of milk called for to make a slightly thicker cream pie filling. Pour in the pudding mix and whisk for two-four minutes until thickened. Spoon into prepared and cooled crust. Use the cream or icing to pipe swirls onto the pie to decorate. Refrigerate until firm. 

I am usually not one to use prepared and convenience products, but this is a really easy and foolproof recipe for inexperienced bakers to make in a pinch, and it is easy to produce in large quantities as well. 

This pie recipe can easily be transformed to any flavor cream pie. Try any of the following combinations:

Crust: flaky pie dough, mealy pie dough, butter pie dough, shortbread, chocolate, chocolate wafer, graham crumb, cornflake crust, crisp rice crust, vanilla wafer, zwieback crust, phyllo crust, puff pastry crust, ground nuts, etc.

Filling: any pudding mix, chocolate, vanilla, butterscotch, caramel, pistachio, lemon, lime.

Topping: Flavor the cream or icing with any extract (vanilla, lemon, almond, butter), or a little bit of alcohol, a sprinkle of ground spice, or cocoa powder.

Garnishes: nuts, chocolate, cookie pieces, candies, fresh fruit. 

Chocolate Cream Pie

This is my idea of pie. No finicky, shortening-filled flaky pastry to mix, chill, roll out, chill, blind bake, and cool. Just a simple chocolate crust I came up with after looking at other crust recipes; more like a shortbread crust. Add the chocolate cream filling and some chocolate buttercream piping decorations, and you've got yourself a wickedly rich and simple chocolate pie! 

Easy Chocolate Pie Shell
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 Tbsp. light brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup hard margarine, cut into pieces
3 Tbsp. cold water

Preheat oven to 400◦F. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour cocoa, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Using a pastry bender (or two knives or your fingers) cut in the margarine until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle water over top, work into a ball. Turn out onto a piece of waxed paper, and gently press it out into a circle, slightly larger than your 9-inch pie plate, using your hands. Gently lift it into the pie plate and press it down to fit. Prick with the tines of a fork all over. Bake for 10 minutes until firm.

Chocolate Cream Pie
1 baked 9-inch pie crust
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
1 can (2 cups) 2% evaporated milk
1 cup fresh 1% milk
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 Tbsp. hard margarine, cubed

In a medium saucepan, mix the sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt. Gradually add the milk, stirring until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Boil for one minute until very thick.
Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and butter. Spoon into prepared crust. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pie filling, cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for at least six hours or overnight. Garnish as desired, and keep pie stored in the fridge.

West Side Publishing. "Hershey's Cocoa Cream Pie." Recipe. Hershey's Classic Recipes, Lincolnwood Illinois: Publications International, Limited, 2009. 295.