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The ingredients intrigued but not together. I felt the inside would be chaotic, chunky, and sticky.
But this past April, no other than German Chocolate would do. Not as imagined, but as it’s meant to be, so into the kitchen I went and to the holiday table pie accompanied.
The lesson: move out my own way, German Chocolate was a smash! Pie sat silk smooth, ultra shred, and with that known crunch. Family surrounded, doting on every crumb.
Although a hit for the family, I sat with a 74% satisfaction rate. Hard on oneself is both a blessing and a curse. Notes were taken and findings stashed.
Desperate for German Chocolate this past week, I pulled the scribble and Dave, Rainey, and I round tabled ideas for improvement. Our heads bubbled from grand to simple, then settled.
Attempt two: what’s the saying? Shoot for the moon, fall amongst the stars is the hope. My spice hand got greedier than intended. I thought, “crap, I biffed this one.” But no, this pie’s the moon.
German Chocolatiers: This isn’t your typical German Chocolate
Why The Moon
The crust – rustic, earthy, not too sweet, perfectly balanced
The spice to your chocolate, coconut, pecan. Chaotic? Heavens no… complementary
A haphazard pecan chop in the filling’s an unexpected and pleasant surprise
Shall We?
Pecan//Almond Flour//Crust
Life is, well… life, so I’m all for however people form a crust, whether homemade or store-bought. But please, give this one a try, as this crust is partially from scratch and worth making.
What makes this crust to die for? Almond flour, which adds exceptional texture and flavor.
Every of our graham cracker crusts, take a 5-10 minute chill in the refrigerator before baking, for form and after baking bite.
Spiced German Chocolate Filling
Cream pies can be intimidating at first but with repetition comes ease. Not having to temper the eggs helps too. You’ll see the detailed instructions below, but we combine the first half of the ingredients to begin: sugar, cornstarch, salt, milk, and eggs, then heat over medium-high and stir gently for six to seven minutes. Once the filling thickens and boils, stir for 1 more minute and remove from heat.
Now for the second half of the ingredients: add one tablespoon of butter at a time until melted, along with vanilla and nutmeg. Then, half the chocolate at a time until melted, followed by the coconut and pecans. Spoon the filling into the cooled pie plate and smooth. Let stand, then cover.
Whip it. Whip it Good.
Did you notice the sky high whipped cream. I know, possibly more whip than pie. Why? Waste weighs on this mind and our carton was soon to expire. Also, it’s pretty and we have a neighbor (Weezy) who lives for dessert. She divides the pillowy fluff between the pie and her coffee.
Homemade Whipped Cream isn’t as easy as a can but comes together and is worth every lick. Just ask Rainey.
➙ Freeze the bowl and beaters for best and faster whip.
➙ Add cold (preferably 6% fat) heavy cream, powdered sugar, vanilla, and dash of cinnamon. Start on low-medium (for splatter sake) to aerate until the whip begins to thicken.
➙ Keep an especially watchful eye, as whip goes up then comes down (you don’t want to miss the peak).
➙ Increase to medium, then medium high.
➙ Stop once stiff peaks form (avoid over whipping, as what you worked for reverts)
➙ Taste, pipe, spread, or place in the refrigerator until ready for use.
Ingredients
If this seems a lot of vanilla and nutmeg, I promise it works for this pie. If apprehensive, you can add slowly towards the end and to taste.
Chocolate
With chocolate pies especially, we pull from our quality stash. I also like combining two, even three different percentages/kinds. So choose favorites!
Fresh Ground Nutmeg
I’m passionate about these nuggets of spicy gold. Those tiny grocery store bottles are pricey! Do you have a natural foods store near? A couple are far less expensive and last through main dishes and desserts.
Coconut
This pie’s plenty sweet, so we use unsweetened coconut. I like to layer texture, so use a fine and medium shred.
I had to go in for another and another bite while taking pictures.
Pie oh my,
If only we can make this together, as it’s that special.
How dare I doubt you.
I deserve a whoopin’
Spiced German Chocolate Pie
Ingredients:
9" Pecan Graham Cracker Crust
- 5.5 Tablespoons butter, melted (5 Tablespoons at sea level)
- 3/4 cups pecans, coarsely chopped
- 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
- 2 Tablespoons almond flour - or unbleached all purpose
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup 2T or nine sheets graham crackers
German Chocolate Filling
- 1/2 cup +2Tablespoons cane sugar
- 3½ Tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups whole milk
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1½ Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract (2 teaspoons at sea level)
- 1/2 cup chocolate (chips or fine chopped) (used ¾ bittersweet, ¼ semi-sweet)
- 3/4 cup unsweetened coconut, shredded (used ½ fine, ½ medium shred)
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg (½-¾ at sea level)
- 3/4 cup pecans, chop haphazardly
Fresh Whipped Cream
- 1¼ cups heavy whipping cream, cold
- 1-2 Tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- dash ground cinnamon
Garnish
- chopped pecans, coconut and bittersweet chocolate shavings
Instructions
9 " Pecan Graham Cracker Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Butter the pie pan with a light coat; set aside.
- Crumb graham crackers in a food processor, then place in a medium bowl. Add coarse chopped nuts, brown sugar and almond flour to the processor bowl. Pulse in long bursts until fine in texture. Combine with graham cracker crumbs, add cinnamon and salt. Mix well, then add melted butter. Stir with a fork and spatula until the butter is even in distribution.
- Spread the crumbs across the bottom of the pie plate. With your hands, a tart tamper, or the back and side of a small measuring cup, press the graham cracker mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the pie plate. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
- On the center oven rack, bake the crust for 7 minutes. The crust won't turn golden, but when finished, will smell graham cracker fragrant. Let cool on a wire rack.
- In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Whisk in milk and egg yolks. Run a spatula along the corners and bottom of the saucepan, making sure the mixture's well combined.
- Place the saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk non-stop until the mixture thickens, then boils, about 6-7 minutes. Continue stirring for an additional 1 minute. Remove from heat. Whisk in butter one piece at a time until melted, then vanilla extract and nutmeg. Whisk half the chocolate in at a time, until smooth and melted. Finally, stir in the coconut and pecans, then pour the filling into the cooled pie shell and smooth the top with a spatula or back of a spoon. Let stand 5-10 minutes.
- A couple options for preventing a skin from forming:Press a piece of plastic over the surface (leaving little gaps or air pockets) of the pie. Glide a piece of butter across the surface of the pie, then press a (preferably unbleached) piece of parchment paper over (leaving little gaps or air pockets) the pie.Place the pie on a wire rack. Once cooled to room temperature, refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
Fresh Whipped Cream
- Chill a medium-size (preferably glass or metal) bowl and the beaters from your electric mixer in the freezer at least 15 minutes prior to serving the pie.
- Remove the chilled bowl and beaters from the freezer. Using the electric mixer, beat the cream, powdered sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon until thickening. Increase the speed to medium-high then high until stiff peaks form. Avoid over beating. Place the whipped cream in the refrigerator until ready for use.
- On a piece of aluminum foil spread shredded or hunks of coconut then place directly on the toaster oven rack. Set to medium toast. Coconut's quick to brown, so keep a watchful eye. Once the coconut is golden, remove from the oven. If left on the foil, the coconut will continue to cook, so transfer to a plate or bowl to cool.
- Pipe or spread the whipped cream and sprinkle with pecans, coconut, and chocolate.
- This pies for you.
Notes
- For crust—while processing crumbs and pecans fine, avoid a paste.
- For filling—different sized pecan bites are a textural surprise.
- For storage—if pie lasts, pie keeps as long as you're willing to pietake.
