Make the pie dough: Whisk flour and salt in a large bowl. Add cold diced butter and shortening; toss to coat in flour. Use your fingertips to press the fat into flat, thin sheets throughout the flour until no large chunks remain. Drizzle in ice water a tablespoon at a time, folding gently with a spatula, until the dough just holds together when pressed. Do not overwork. Press into a disk, wrap in cling film, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (1 hour is better).
← Back to recipes
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Chocolate French Silk Pie
An intensely rich, no-bake chocolate mousse filling in a flaky pie crust, topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| All-purpose flour | 180 g | For the crust. |
| Kosher salt | 2.5 ml | For the crust. |
| Unsalted butter, cold, diced | 85 g | For the crust. Keep very cold — return to freezer if it warms up. |
| Vegetable shortening, cold | 30 g | For the crust. |
| Ice water | 60–90 ml | Add little by little — you may not need all of it. |
| Unsalted butter, room temperature | 226 g | For the filling. Must be soft for proper creaming. |
| Granulated sugar | 300 g | For the filling. |
| Unsweetened chocolate (100%), melted and cooled | 113 g | For the filling. Melt gently and allow to cool before adding to the mixer. |
| Pure vanilla extract or paste | 10 ml | For the filling. |
| Cocoa powder | 10 g | Optional but intensifies colour and chocolate flavour — don't skip it. |
| Instant espresso powder | 1.25 ml | Optional but deepens the chocolate flavour without tasting of coffee. |
| Large eggs, room temperature | 4 eggs | Use pasteurized eggs — the filling is not cooked. Room temperature is essential. |
| Heavy cream, cold | 240 ml | For the whipped cream topping. |
| Pure vanilla extract or paste | 5 ml | For the whipped cream. |
| Icing sugar (confectioners' sugar) | 40 g | For the whipped cream. |
| Chocolate shavings or curls | To garnish | For garnish — optional but classic. |
Preparation
Roll and blind-bake: Preheat oven to 205°C / 400°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough to about 4–5 cm / 1.5–2 inches wider than your pie dish. Lay it in the dish without stretching; trim to a 1 cm / 1/2-inch overhang and fold under. Crimp the edges. Prick the base and sides with a fork. Freeze for 10 minutes (or refrigerate 30 minutes). Line with parchment, fill to the top with pie weights or dried beans, and bake in the bottom third of the oven for 20 minutes. Remove the weights and parchment; return to the oven for another 12–15 minutes until the base is deep golden brown. Cool completely before filling.
Make the filling: In a stand mixer fitted with the PADDLE attachment (not whisk), beat the room-temperature butter and sugar on medium-high for 3–4 minutes until very light and fluffy. Pour in the cooled melted chocolate, then add the vanilla, cocoa powder, and espresso powder. Scrape down the bowl thoroughly.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating for a FULL 5 minutes on high speed after each addition (20 minutes total). Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl between each egg — sticking sugar causes a grainy texture. After all 4 eggs, the filling should be silky smooth, pale, and fluffy.
Pour the filling into the fully cooled crust. Smooth the surface, cover loosely, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours — overnight is best. The filling will firm up into a sliceable, silky mousse.
Make the whipped cream: Just before serving, whip the cold heavy cream and vanilla with a whisk attachment on high speed. Stream in the icing sugar and whip to stiff peaks.
Top the chilled pie with whipped cream and finish with chocolate shavings or curls. Slice cleanly with a sharp knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry between cuts.
The pie can be refrigerated (without topping) for up to 2 days. Add whipped cream just before serving, or use stabilised whipped cream (with gelatin) if making it up to 4 days in advance. Leftovers keep loosely covered in the fridge for 3–4 days.