Spicy Chocolate Pie with Cinnamon Whipped Cream

We're in the middle of our first real snowfall of the winter here in Grand Rapids, so all I can think about is staying in and keeping warm. This chocolate pastry is an adaptation of the Chocolate Chess Pie recipe from Nothing in the House. I combined all the warmest flavors I could think of to transform the basic chocolate filling into a super nova of flavor. I also added a mildly sweet cinnamon-infused whipped cream to round out the finished product.

The ingredients to this recipe are always delightfully basic. The point of chess pie (and most of the recipes from Nothing in the House, hence its moniker) is that it can be prepared without a lot of special purchases. To the lineup of usual suspects (flour, sugar, butter, &c.), I added cinnamon, cayenne pepper, and some almond extract I happened to have on hand. These flavors were meant to be reminiscent of Mexican chocolate, but the almond component could probably be omitted (or increased, if you feel adventurous), because I couldn't taste it in the finished product.

Since I'm always committed to honing my craft, I went ahead and made my own crust for this recipe. The Nothing in the House Pie Crust came together nicely, and I didn't even have to get out my food processor, though I did use the cheese grater to "slice" my cold butter (ever since that Szarlotka, I've been seeing this handy tool in a whole new light). The full recipe gave me enough crust for six miniature pies along with plenty of extra dough left over, and the filling batter divided between them perfectly. The kitchen gods seem to be smiling on me this time around...

After about 50 minutes in the oven, my spicy chocolate pies were filling the kitchen with delectable aromatics, and I'd almost forgotten that the snow was busy piling up outside. Then I opened my window to set the pies out to cool, and reality set in. Truth be told, I'm not dreading winter; after all, it's not hard to embrace a season that gives me both plentiful snow days AND a reason to keep my oven on full-blast for months and months on end. 

Sitting in the path of some snowy downdrafts for a few minutes did wonders to bring my pies down to a reasonable temperature, and after about 15 minutes, they were cool enough to handle some topping. I took this recipe for cinnamon whipped cream and cut it in half, plus I decreased the confectioner's sugar even more so it would add creaminess to the spicy flavor without being overpoweringly sweet. 

I finished off my spicy chocolate pies with a generous dollop of the home-made whipped cream and a light sprinkling of extra cinnamon, and of course, a taste test was necessary after that. I managed to stop myself after eating just half of one, but I could have easily kept going. The whipped cream balances out the cayenne for just the right amounts of heat and richness, and the cinnamon and chocolate are the perfect winter combination.

Spicy Chocolate Chess Pie 

adapted from Nothing in the House

For the Pie:

Nothing in the House pie crust (whole recipe for six 4-oz ramekins)

1/2 c. (one stick) butter

2 oz. (2 square) bittersweet chocolate

3/4 c. white sugar

1 Tblsp. yellow cornmeal

2 large eggs, beaten well

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. almond extract

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper  (or more, to taste)

1/4 tsp. salt

For the Cinnamon Whipped Cream:

1 c. heavy cream, cold

1/4 c. confectioner's sugar

1 heaping tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions

For the Pie

Prepare the Nothing in the House pie crust and chill dough at least 1 hour before rolling out and fitting into six greased and floured 4-oz ramekins. Alternately, prepare half the recipe to fit one 9-inch pie pan.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Put rolled and fitted crusts back in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.

Melt the butter and chocolate in a small saucepan over med-low heat for 5 minutes until they make a smooth sauce. Remove from the heat and pour into a medium bowl.

Add the sugar and cornmeal to the chocolate mixture and stir until well combined. Then add the eggs, vanilla, almond, spices, and salt. Whisk until evenly mixed.

Place the ramekins on a cookie sheet and pour the filling into the pie crusts. Then place the cookie sheet on the bottom rack of the oven. Bake until the pie filling has puffed and formed a crusty top, and crust is golden brown, about 50 minutes  for ramekins, or 50-60 minutes for a normal-sized pie pan. 

Remove pie from oven and let cool until still slightly warm -- about 30 minutes -- while you make the whipped cream.

Serve pie warm or at room temperature with a dollop of cinnamon whipped cream and a dusting of ground cinnamon.

For the Whipped Cream

In a large bowl with a mixer set on med-high (or a hand-mixer using the whisk attachment), beat cream, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla until stiff peaks form, about 3-5 minutes. Do not over beat. 

Extra whipped cream can be stored in an airtight container for 2-3 days.

Serve pie warm or at room temperature with a dollop of cinnamon whipped cream.