DARK CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY CREAM PIE: Raspberry Cream Pie Day!

If you've been following my blog, you know I have a soft spot for Driscoll's Berries. They're always sweet, they're always good. And that's what led me to today's recipe. This recipe for Dark Chocolate Raspberry Cream Pie is on the Driscoll's website. There are lots of other berry recipes you'll want to check out, but for today's food holiday, Raspberry Cream Pie Day, you'll want to make this recipe for Dark Chocolate Raspberry Cream Pie!

DARK CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY CREAM PIE

Ingredients

Crust 

1 1/4 Cups chocolate wafer cookie crumbs 

3 Tbsp sugar 

4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted 

Filling 

4 Ounces dark or semisweet chocolate 

2 Cups whole milk, divided 

4 Tbsp cornstarch 

1/2 Cup sugar 

2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder 

2 Tsp vanilla extract 

Pinch salt 

Topping 

1 Package (6 ounces or 1 1/3 cups) Driscoll's Raspberries 

3 Tablespoons sugar 

1 Cup heavy cream 

2 Tbsp confectioner's sugar 

1 Tsp vanilla extract 

Directions

Crust 

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place crumbs and sugar in a medium bowl and stir in butter until evenly blended. Press crumb mixture firmly on bottom and up sides of 9-1/2-inch pie plate. Bake 10 minutes. Cool. 

Filling 

Melt chocolate. Whisk together 1/2 cup milk and cornstarch. Set aside.

Bring remaining 1 1/2 cups milk, sugar, cocoa and salt just to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently. Stir cornstarch mixture then add to milk mixture in saucepot and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Once mixture is at a boil and quite thick, cook 1 additional minute. Remove from heat and stir in melted chocolate and vanilla. Spoon into cooled crust. Cover surface directly with plastic wrap to prevent skin from forming. Chill at least 4 hours or overnight. 

Raspberry Puree 

Puree 1/2 package of raspberries in food processor fitted with metal blade. Strain through a fine mesh strainer. Discard seeds. Stir sugar into puree until disolved. 

Topping 

Beat heavy cream and sugar until stiff peaks just form. Stir in vanilla. Spread whipped cream topping on chilled pie. With a small spoon drop small amounts of raspberry puree onto whipped cream. Use a toothpick or sharp knife to swirl puree into cream. Top with remaining raspberries.

DARK CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY CREAM PIE: Raspberry Cream Pie Day

If you've been following my blog, you know I have a soft spot for Driscoll's Berries. They're always sweet, they're always good. And that's what led me to today's recipe. This recipe for Dark Chocolate Raspberry Cream Pie is on the Driscoll's website. There are lots of other berry recipes you'll want to check out, but for today's food holiday, Raspberry Cream Pie Day, you'll want to make this recipe for Dark Chocolate Raspberry Cream Pie!

DARK CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY CREAM PIE

Crust 

1 1/4 Cups chocolate wafer cookie crumbs 

3 Tbsp sugar 

4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted 

Filling 

4 Ounces dark or semisweet chocolate 

2 Cups whole milk, divided 

4 Tbsp cornstarch 

1/2 Cup sugar 

2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder 

2 Tsp vanilla extract 

Pinch salt 

Topping 

1 Package (6 ounces or 1 1/3 cups) Driscoll's Raspberries 

3 Tablespoons sugar 

1 Cup heavy cream 

2 Tbsp confectioner's sugar 

1 Tsp vanilla extract 

Crust 

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place crumbs and sugar in a medium bowl and stir in butter until evenly blended. Press crumb mixture firmly on bottom and up sides of 9-1/2-inch pie plate. Bake 10 minutes. Cool. 

Filling 

Melt chocolate. Whisk together 1/2 cup milk and cornstarch. Set aside.

Bring remaining 1 1/2 cups milk, sugar, cocoa and salt just to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently. Stir cornstarch mixture then add to milk mixture in saucepot and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Once mixture is at a boil and quite thick, cook 1 additional minute. Remove from heat and stir in melted chocolate and vanilla. Spoon into cooled crust. Cover surface directly with plastic wrap to prevent skin from forming. Chill at least 4 hours or overnight. 

Raspberry Puree 

Puree 1/2 package of raspberries in food processor fitted with metal blade. Strain through a fine mesh strainer. Discard seeds. Stir sugar into puree until disolved. 

Topping 

Beat heavy cream and sugar until stiff peaks just form. Stir in vanilla. Spread whipped cream topping on chilled pie. With a small spoon drop small amounts of raspberry puree onto whipped cream. Use a toothpick or sharp knife to swirl puree into cream. Top with remaining raspberries.

Black Bottom Raspberry Cream Pie

Today is National Raspberry Cream Pie Day, and what's a raspberry cream pie without chocolate? So for this recipe, the cream portion of the pie is Chocolate Pudding!

This recipe is from Bon Appetit (July 2004) aka Epicurious for Black Bottom Raspberry Cream Pie. The "black bottom" is a layer of chocolate pudding.. and as a bonus there's a chocolate cookie crust. I'm all about chocolate. Be sure and chill the pie overnight before adding the topping.

As far as berries go, any great organic raspberry works. I love Driscoll's raspberries because they're always good. This is raspberry season, so pick up a few pints today and make this incredible pie to celebrate. No time to make this delicious pie? Dance the Black Bottom! See video below.

FYI: This recipe is also a great black bottom 'anything' recipe: bananas and other fruit go very well with it, too.

Black Bottom Raspberry Cream Pie 

Crust
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1 3/4 cups crushed chocolate wafer cookies (about 30 cookies from one 9-ounce package)
1/2 cup sweet butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar

Filling
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
2 Tbsp cornstarch
2 1/2 cups whole milk, divided
2 large egg yolks
1 large egg
4 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 Tbsp sweet butter

Topping
3 1/2-pint containers raspberries
1 cup chilled whipping cream
2 Tbsp powdered sugar
1/2 tsp Madagascar vanilla extract

For crust:
Spray 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish with nonstick spray. 

Blend cookie crumbs, butter, and sugar in medium bowl. 

Press mixture evenly over bottom and up sides (not on rim) of prepared dish.

Chill crust 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake crust until set, about 10 minutes, then cool.

For filling:
Combine sugar, cocoa, and cornstarch in heavy medium saucepan; whisk to blend well. 

Gradually add 1/4 cup milk, whisking until cornstarch dissolves. 

Whisk in remaining 2 1/4 cups milk, then egg yolks and egg. 

Stir over medium-high heat until pudding thickens and boils, about 8 minutes. 

Remove from heat. 

Add chocolate and butter; whisk until melted and smooth. 

Spread pudding in prepared crust. Press plastic wrap onto pudding to cover and chill pie overnight.

For topping:
Peel plastic wrap off pie. 

Cover chocolate layer with raspberries, pointed side up, pressing lightly into chocolate to adhere (some berries will be left over). 

Beat cream, sugar, and vanilla in medium bowl until peaks form; spread over berries on pie. 

Arrange remaining berries atop cream. 

Chill pie at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours.

And, the dance sensation that started it all: The Black Bottom.  In this video, the Varsity Drag title is in error. The Black Bottom replaced "The Charleston" as the next most popular dance of the 1920's. Released June 28, 1926. Written by Buddy De Sylva, Lew Brown and Ray Henderson.  Black bottom dancing was for the young and energetic. This song and style of dancing were popular in the1920's.