Memorial Day kicks off a season full of food favorites doesn’t it? Best grilling recipes come out of hibernation to move families into dining al fresco. The deck or porch become another room in the house often used for daily dining for us. The sweltering heat of summer calls for innovative desserts that flaunt big flavor but aren’t too heavy either. Today’s recipe for Cherry Chocolate Chip Pie delivers everything a summer dessert should. It’s a light, creamy, frozen pie that cools the heat with fabulous flavors of cherry and chocolate in a graham cracker crust. Easy to put together and even better to eat!
I originally tried this pie after finding the recipe in a batch of vintage recipes I’d purchased at a thrift store. Whenever I come into a batch of vintage recipes I tend to go through all of them looking for recipes that are unique, translate to modern times for the ingredients, use whole ingredients (no Jell-O or cans of soup) and frankly are not overly complex. I love food and sophisticated food but I rarely have the time to labor over recipes with extensive ingredient lists but still want a pleasing end result.
This recipe for Chocolate Chip Pie caught my attention. The advertisement of a ‘summer dessert’ placed in my ‘to try’ pile especially with summer right around the corner. I always make vintage recipes verbatim the first time. I will say this is the first time that the crust recipe totally tanked from the original recipe. When I pulled it out of the oven it had converted from the formed pie crust I inserted into the oven to a bubbling, buttery mess. I had decided I wanted to freeze the pie similar to a Grasshopper Pie I make so I created a crust recipe that was more friendly to that method and it turned out great.
When purchasing the chocolate for the pie I found the variations of chocolate irresistible and decided instead of the original bitter chocolate to use Dark Chocolate with Cherries from local (and nationally distributed) Choco-love. It seemed a great kick off to summer. As noted in the recipe other chocolate certainly can be substituted both to suit your palate and as is convenient in your area.
Cherry Chocolate Chip Pie
Ingredients
- 24 Marshmallows
- ½ cup Milk
- 1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 3.2-ounce bar Cherry Chocolate bar (or chocolate of your choice)
- 1 ½ cups Graham Cracker Crumbs regular or gluten-free
- 7 tablespoons Unsalted Butter melted; plus a bit more unmelted to butter the pie pan
Instructions
- Lightly grease a 9 inch regular depth (not deep dish) pie pan with butter. Using a mixer (preferably a standing mixer with paddle attachment) combine the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter. Form a pie crust in the greased pan using fingers to press into a crust. Place in the freezer to set about 10-15 minutes.
- In a double boiler or in a metal boil over a pan of water, combine the marshmallows and milk. Stirring frequently allow marshmallows to fully melt and set aside.
- Using a free standing mixer and whisk attachment (or hand held mixer) combine the heavy whipping cream, vanilla and if desired food coloring; whip the cream. Fold into the marshmallow mixture. NOTE: the marshmallows and milk may have separated. Don’t worry about that just mix it all together.
Preparing the Chocolate:
- Finely grate 2/5’s of the bar, finely chop 2/5’s of the bar. Mix together and fold into pie filling smoothing the top with a spatula.
- Make chocolate curls with the remaining chocolate by pulling a vegetable peeler down the longest edge of the chocolate.
- Garnish the pie with chocolate curls and place into the freezer until frozen.
Marie says
What a fun pie! I love that you brought a vintage recipe back to life too.
Patricia Thrash says
What kind of candy bar has cherries?
Toni Dash says
The brand I used for the pie is shown in the blog post, it’s Chocolove. At my local grocery stores the options of chocolate with ingredients like this is huge. If I have trouble finding something specific I usually find it easily online.
Sweet Athena says
I tried your recipe. Thanks for sharing!
Kim Bee says
I want to move next door to you. Seriously, this is beyond gorgeous. I can't stop staring at it. I'll be dreaming about it tonight.
Katie Jones says
You're killing me! This looks soooo good. I wish this dairy problem of mine would just go away. Missed you at the Bitter Bar – was really hoping to finally get to meet you! Hopefully at the next meet up???
Boulder Locavore says
Katie! I was so disappointed to miss the event. I've been bedridden with a virust since last Saturday, only 'getting vertical' from minutes a day. I keep waiting for it to move along but I've been really flattened sadly. Sickest I've been in years…..(I really should have invited you to this pity party, sorry!). I heard it was great and I plan on coming to the upcoming planned events so hopefully we'll meet then!
Sorry to taunt you with the pie. I'm not sure there would be a true substitute here. I've seen soy whipped cream in a can but the cream is not sweeetened when it is whipped. Tune back in tomorrow. A selection of dairy-free booze for summer!
Elisabeth says
Toni-I'm with you on the vintage recipes. I have a few of those clippings myself that I saved. Your cherry chocolate chip pie is absolutely gorgeous, amazing, and so perfect for this time, or in fact any time of the year. I have never seen a chocolate bar like that, with cherries in chocolate, which BTW I love so much…chocolate covered cherries, of course!
Your BBQ is so inviting, and I'm totally salivating for your burger…so juicy, and delicious. I wish I could just take that out of your hand over the screen (smiles)
I'm pinning your amazing pie, if it's OK with you!
Thank you so much for your kind words re: my poor Prince. I'm so sorry for your loss with both cats. My poor cat had a thyroid problem, and no matter how much he ate, in the last two years was just wasting away, poor baby…until he couldn't walk without collapsing, and that very day is when I had to have him put down…so sad!
Big hugs to you my dear friend!
Boulder Locavore says
Thanks for all of this Elisabeth. You would love this pie based on what you said. You should check Chocolove's website. I believe they list everywhere they distribute nationally. From what I remember it is pretty extensive and you can order from their website. I use their chocolate alot in baking. Another favorite flavor for baking is dark chocolate cherries and chilies. I use it in mesquite flour muffins (with bacon).
On the cats when they get to the point they are so disabled in their own lives it really is the only choice to be kind. I hope you are feeling your new normal soon. xo