Grandma's Chocolate Pie Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why does my chocolate pie not set? ›

Why Is My Chocolate Pie Runny? If your filing didn't set, it probably means that you didn't cook the filling long enough. Cornstarch needs to be heated in order to activate its thickening properties. An image of an old fashioned chocolate pie on top of a blue napkin.

This can happen for several reasons: if the cooking process was rushed, if the filling wasn't carefully watched and stirred frequently, the filling was overcooked, the stovetop heat was too high, or if the pie isn't given enough time to chill. Any ingredient substitutions could also result in a runny chocolate pie.

``Weeping'' is when the meringue separates from the filling and liquid forms between the two layers. To prevent this from happening, put the meringue onto the filling while it is still hot. The heat from the filling helps to cook the meringue on the bottom which prevents it from shrinking and weeping.

How long is chocolate pie good for? It'll stay good for about three days in the fridge, covered in plastic wrap. How do you thicken chocolate pie filling? I add in a little cornstarch to help thicken up the filling.

If you want the pie to slice cleanly, without oozing filling, allow it to cool completely before serving; this will take at least a couple of hours. To serve warm rather than at room temperature, reheat your cooled pie, tented with aluminum foil, for about 20 minutes in a 350°F oven.

Vegetable Oil or Canola Oil: A few drops of a neutral, flavourless oil can help to thin out your chocolate. Be cautious when using oil, as adding too much can make the chocolate oily. Shortening: A little shortening mixed in with your chocolate can also make it thinner.

Crust dust is a 1:1 mixture of flour and granulated sugar. When baking a pie, especially a fruit pie, a couple of teaspoons of crust dust sprinkled into the bottom of the crust will help prevent the crust from becoming saturated with juicy filling as it bakes.

The bottom line: For smooth, stiff beaten egg whites that keep their shape, don't skip the cream of tartar. If you don't have cream of tartar, substituting 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice or white vinegar per egg white works almost as well. To avoid meringues that weep, don't skip the cream of tartar...

If your meringue does weep, you can try to absorb some of the moisture by gently blotting it with a paper towel. This works especially well for removing beads of moisture on top of your meringue.

Do you refrigerate pies with meringue? ›

They need to be refrigerated to prevent foodborne illness. After baking, meringue pies should be cooled for 1.5 to 2 hours at room temperature, then refrigerated for 3 to 6 hours before serving, and leftovers should be wrapped or placed in an airtight container and refrigerated.

If a pie contains eggs or dairy products, it should be stored in the refrigerator and not left out at room temperature for more than two hours. Pies that do not contain dairy products, such as fruit pies can be stored, loosely covered at room temperature for up to two days.

The Crust: Chocolate cream pie traditionally sits on a cookie crumb crust, while French silk pie traditionally sits on a pastry crust. The Filling: Chocolate cream pie filling has a denser, pudding-like consistency, while French silk pie filling has a lighter, airier, more mousse-like consistency.

McDowell says that fruit and custard pies are best eaten within the first 24 hours after baking, but can be stored at room temperature for up to two days—any longer than that, and the crust will start to get soggy.

It could be that your room temperature is too high. If the temperature is over 68 F, this can cause problems. The ideal setting temperature is between 65 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit. It could also be that the chocolate wasn't tempered, because untempered chocolate takes quite a bit longer to set.

Here's the thing to remember: If you're filling hasn't set, it means the bottom of the pie crust isn't fully cooked, either. You can prevent the outer crust from further darkening (or even burning) by covering it with aluminum foil or -- more attractively -- with what's known as a pie ring or shield.

If you're melting chocolate into a sauce or other mixture, the higher the cacao percentage is, the more liquid you need to add to stop the chocolate from seizing. So if you're thinking of going off-recipe and adding dark instead of milk, you might want to add an extra splash of liquid.