I have seen people eat all of the filling out of a slice of pie and leave the crust behind. But that is not me. When it comes to pie, I want as much crust as I can get, which is why I love slab pie so much! Because the pie is so much bigger and the filling is so much thinner, the ratio of crust to filling is ideal. (Or at least I certainly think so.) And a French Silk Pie illustrates that point perfectly… While the filling of a normal French Silk Pie can feel like a bit much, with a slab pie, it’s the perfect dose of rich chocolatey flavor backed by crispy crust. And it feeds a crowd, which is always a plus. (Whether you actually have a crowd or just want more slices for yourself.)
Here’s a nice thing — you can use your favorite pastry recipe OR storebought crust for this; it’s totally up to you. But whatever route you’ll go, you’ll need the equivalent of two crusts. If you’re using storebought, just stack the crusts together and roll them out into a rectangle that’s slightly larger than your baking sheet. (Which should be a half sheet pan, which is about 13×18 inches.)
INGREDIENTS
- 2 9-inch pie crusts, softened
FOR THE FILLING:
- 10 oz bittersweet chocolate, plus more for topping
- 4 eggs
- 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a half sheet pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
On a lightly floured surface, stack pie crusts on top of each other and roll out into a rectangle that’s slightly larger than your baking pan. Place crust in pan, pressing into the corners, cut off excess dough, and crimp.
Line crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until slightly golden, about 15-17 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely before filling.
In a microwave-safe container, melt the chocolate in 30-second increments, stirring in between, until nearly melted. Then, stir until completely melted. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, whisk sugar and eggs together. Reduce heat to low, and stirring constantly, heat until sugar has dissolved and mixture coats the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in the melted chocolate and vanilla extract until smooth. Let cool until warm, stirring occasionally.
While chocolate cools, add butter to a mixing bowl and beat until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Gradually pour in the chocolate mixture, then beat on high until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, beat the heavy cream with an electric mixer until it starts to thicken. Add powdered sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form.
Fold 1 1/2 cups of the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture and reserve the rest for topping.
Spread chocolate mixture into cooled pie crust and chill until set, 1-2 hours. Top with remaining whipped cream and garnish with chocolate shavings, if desired, before serving. Enjoy!
