Happy Pi Day! I am celebrating by sharing the recipe for a Chocolate Caramel Pie with Pretzel Crust. The crust is made with pretzel crumbs, a layer of whiskey caramel is added on top, a chocolate fudge filling is poured over, and it is served with a vanilla whipped cream. It is a sweet and salty dessert, and the sweetness of the whipped cream balances the slight bitterness of the chocolate. This pie is so good, that you should probably stop whatever you are doing so you can make it immediately.
I am not a whiskey drinker, but whiskey and chocolate are one of my favorite flavor combinations and I often use whiskey as an ingredient when I am baking. The whiskey caramel just adds a touch of extra flavor to this pie. If you don't like whiskey, you can omit it, thus making traditional caramel instead.
I made this pie, and a Banana Cream Pie for a party I hosted to celebrate my friend Maya's birthday. This was the more popular pie, and my personal favorite. Of course, Charles preferred the Banana Cream Pie, we can never agree on desserts.
This will yield a 10 inch pie.
Ingredients
- For the Crust:
- 2 cups Pretzel Crumbs put pretzels in blender
- 6 tablespoons Butter melted
- 3 tablespoons Brown Sugar
- For the Whiskey Caramel:
- 4 tablespoons Butter
- ¼ cup Whiskey
- 1 cup Brown Sugar
- ¼ cup Heavy Cream
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- For the Chocolate Filling:
- 1 cup Brown Sugar packed
- ½ cup Unsweetened Cocoa
- 1 tablespoon All Purpose Flour
- ¾ cup Whole Milk
- ⅓ cup Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Butter melted
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- 2 Large Eggs
- 2 Large Egg Whites
- For the Whipped Cream:
- 1 cup Whipping Cream
- 2 tablespoons Powdered Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
Instructions
- Prepare the crust. Mix the pretzel crumbs, butter, and brown sugar together. Press into a pie pan, and bake for 5 minutes at 350 degrees. Keep oven heated to 350 degrees since the pie will need to bake.
- Prepare the whiskey caramel. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Then add the sugar and whisk until melted. Add the whiskey. Let simmer steadily for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the cream and let the sauce slowly simmer and reduce for 10 minutes, until it has thickened. Let cool for 5 minutes, then pour over the pretzel crust.
- Prepare the chocolate filling. Combine the brown sugar, coca, and flour in a bowl. Mix together. In another bowl, combine the milk, sugar, butter, vanilla, egg, and egg white. Stir together well. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients ½ cup at a time. Pour into the pie crust, over the caramel. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the center is set. It will still be a little soft, but not liquid. Remove from oven, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.
- Make the whipped cream. Use an electric mixer to combine all ingredients. Mix on a medium speed until soft peaks from. Serve the pie with a generous scoop of whipped cream on each slice.
Chocolate Pie Filling recipe adapted from My Recipes.
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