Ingredients:

  • 1 ¾ cups Chocolate wafers or biscuits, finely crushed
  • 2 Tbsp Granulated Sugar (for crust)
  • ¼ tsp Fine Sea Salt (for crust)
  • ½ cup Unsalted Butter, melted (115 g)
  • 1 ½ cups Whole Milk
  • ½ cup Heavy Cream
  • ¾ cup Granulated Sugar (for filling), divided
  • ¼ cup Cornstarch (30 g)
  • ¼ cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder (Dutch process preferred)
  • ½ tsp Fine Sea Salt (for filling)
  • 4 Large Egg Yolks, room temperature
  • 4 oz High-Quality Dark Chocolate (65–70% cacao), chopped
  • 4 Tbsp Unsalted Butter, cut into small cubes, room temperature
  • 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

Instructions:

  1. Prepare the Pie Tin and Oven: Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C. Lightly grease a 9-inch pie plate.
  2. Make the Crumbs: Pulse chocolate wafers in a food processor until fine crumbs form. Combine the crumbs, 2 Tbsp sugar, and ¼ tsp salt in a bowl. Pour in the melted butter and stir until evenly moistened (it should resemble wet sand).
  3. Press and Bake Crust: Transfer the mixture to the prepared pie plate. Press the mixture firmly and evenly across the bottom and up the sides. Bake for 8–10 minutes. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
  4. Sift Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, cocoa powder, and salt. Add half (75g) of the granulated sugar. Set aside.
  5. Heat the Dairy: In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the whole milk, heavy cream, and the remaining half (75g) of the sugar. Heat over medium heat until small bubbles form around the edge (do not boil). Remove from heat.
  6. Prepare the Slurry and Temper Yolks: In a separate small bowl, whisk the 4 egg yolks vigorously. Whisk in the dry ingredient mixture until a thick, smooth paste (slurry) forms. Slowly ladle about 1 cup of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolk slurry while whisking constantly. This tempering prevents curdling.
  7. Cook the Custard: Pour the tempered egg mixture back into the remaining hot milk in the saucepan. Return the pan to medium-low heat. Cook the mixture, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pan, until it thickens significantly and comes to a slow boil (5–8 minutes).
  8. Finish Off-Heat: Immediately remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the chopped dark chocolate, the cubes of butter, and the vanilla extract until everything is melted and the filling is completely smooth and glossy.
  9. Fill and Cool: Pour the hot chocolate custard immediately into the cooled pie crust. Let the pie sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
  10. Chill and Set: Gently cover the pie with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap directly onto the surface of the filling to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours, or ideally, overnight, until the filling is fully set and firm. Serve cold.