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  • in Recipes

    Homemade Chocolate Bitters

    Making your own cocktail bitters at home is easy and fun! These chocolate bitters are a great beginner recipe, and versatile enough to use in a variety of homemade cocktails. Homemade bitters make great gifts, too!

    Bitters are extraordinary, essential, and potent flavor extracts that transform any drink in which they’re mixed. They will also transform anyone able to make their own into a proper home mixologist.
    Whether you want to round out your home bar or give a gift to someone you clearly treasure, making your own bitters is as easy as it is sexy and addictive.

    THE INGREDIENTS FOR CHOCOLATE BITTERS
    Most bitters recipes are a balance between bittering and flavoring agents. For today’s chocolate bitters, you’ll use gentian, wild cherry bark, and black walnut leaf to embitter your alcohol, while cacao nibs, cardamom, vanilla bean, and a cinnamon stick add the complexity, flavoring, and chocolate notes.
    Not to discourage you from foraging for these (or any other) ingredients in the wild, but they can be easily ordered from Dandelion Botanicals, Tenzing Momo,or Mountain Rose Herbs.
    In general, use organic, whole ingredients when possible – they’re better for you and are far easier to strain out of the mix.

    THE BEST ALCOHOL FOR CHOCOLATE BITTERS
    More important than which particular brand of spirit you use is the proof of the alcohol. Alcohol will pull essential oils (and flavors and aromas) from your ingredients, and using high-proof spirits will not only extract more of that flavor, but do so more quickly.
    While vodka is typically used for bitters because its flavor neutral and versatile, for our Chocolate Bitters, I’m calling for a high-proof bourbon (or rye). This is a great compliment to our warm flavor profiles.
    You should purchase the highest-quality spirits you can afford, as you want the most (and best) flavor to make it through to bottling. Knob Creek’s 120-proof single barrel bourbon, or the 100-proof ryes from Rittenhouse or Old Forester will always serve you well, especially if you have any left over.
    HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE BITTERS
    Having gone through the work of sourcing all of your herbs, roots, flowers, barks, fruit peels, and bittering agents, it’s all (almost) all over but for the steeping: Combine your dry ingredients with a high proof alcohol and let them sit for a bit.
    Since different spices infuse at different rates, the steeping time will vary depending on the recipe. In the case of this recipe you’re waiting two weeks total, adding a second batch of herbs and spices halfway through. You’ll also need to shake the glass jar in which everything sits once each day.
    There in that jar, day by day, the infusion will become more pronounced, flavorful, and complex, until – diggity doo – you have a true batch of bitters on your hand.

    HOW TO BOTTLE HOMEMADE BITTERS
    Now that you’ve put all that work into sourcing and infusing and waiting, you’re only a well-chosen bottle away from enjoying these bitters (or giving them away).
    Boston round glass bottles, with their handy droppers and range of sizes, are the best combination of affordable, sourceable, and usable. This said, you can also go with more specialty bottles, too. Note that bright light can alter the flavor of the bitters, so dark (amber) bottles are best, or you can store them in a dark place.
    As you’re not likely to use these Chocolate Bitters as often as Angostura or orange bitters, you can aim for smaller-size (2- or 4-ounce) bottles. If you’re giving these as a gift, a well-chosen larger bottle may make a better impression.
    Specialty Bottle and Amazon are both good sources for a range of Boston Rounds, but Cocktail Kingdom has the truly specialty bottles you might be after if you are planning to give these away as gifts, or just show off.
    OTHER HELPFUL EQUIPMENT
    One 1-quart sealable glass jar: Your glass jar can be clear, but if so, store the infusion in the dark while it matures.
    Cheesecloth or Superbag: Filtering your infusion is perhaps the most complicated step of the process, but it really isn’t complicated. Cheesecloth will work perfectly well, but you may find Superbags – very fine micron mesh bags – clarify more effectively and are much easier to clean out. Modernist Pantry is a great source for these.
    HOW TO USE YOUR BITTERS
    Whereas a standard like Angostura acts as an aromatic bitters, providing a bridge between your base spirit and your sweetener, these chocolate bitters fall on the “savory” side, adding layers of complexity while amplifying your base spirit.
    These chocolate bitters are ideal for cocktails with brown spirits – accompanying an aged rum, or a good bourbon, for example. It can even be paired with a citrus bitters (orange, perhaps) to both brighten and deepen a spirit.
    If you’re looking for more particular recommendations, try adding these to a Fall-Spiced Old-Fashioned, pairing it with sherry in the Chocolate Adonis, or going full chocolate for the Chocolate Sidecar.

    HOW LONG WILL THESE BITTERS LAST?
    The good news – if you’re someone who tends to use bitters sparingly – is that bitters will likely never go bad. You can check in on them in five years if you’d like, but because of the high-proof alcohol, they’ll have much longer than that in them. Best would be to enjoy often. You may as well.
    More DIY Projects! LEGGI TUTTO

  • in Recipes

    One Simply Terrific Thing: Turbinado Sugar (Sugar in the Raw)

    Want to take your baking up a notch? Try adding turbinado sugar to your kitchen pantry arsenal to give your baked goods an added level of crunch and sweetness!

    Welcome to One Simply Terrific Thing, our ongoing series highlighting the small tools, kitchen goods and ingredients that make life better!

    Because of my job as a baker and recipe developer, I have a well-stocked pantry full of specialty ingredients most folks don’t use on a regular basis.
    But for anyone wanting to take their baked goods up a notch, I recommend getting some turbinado sugar. This specialty ingredient can take a regular home-baked good to the next level!
    WHAT IS TURBINADO SUGAR?
    Turbinado sugar (sometimes sold by its brand name Sugar in the Raw) came onto the scene back in the 90s where it started to appear at coffee shops across the nation. But it wasn’t until the last 10 to 15 years that you could buy it in bags at regular grocery stores, like white and brown sugar.
    This specialty sugar is a blond-colored coarse crystal sugar that is less refined that table sugar. Unlike white granulated sugar, which is refined and boiled several times to remove all the molasses, turbinado sugar is boiled once and then processed through a centrifuge to spin off the excess moisture. The centrifuge, called a turbine, is what gives turbinado sugar its name!

    HOW TO BAKE WITH TURBINADO SUGAR
    Due to its unrefined nature, turbinado sugar has a slight molasses flavor that is more rounded and complex than regular white sugar’s simple sweetness. It’s great in hot beverages like coffee and tea, and adds a great crunch and texture when sprinkled over oatmeal or yogurt.
    Turbinado sugar also makes a fantastic addition to baked goods!
    Sprinkle a tablespoon over pies before baking for a professional look and taste; top muffins with a generous pinch to give them a “bakery-style” appearance; or try adding a tablespoon to a crumble, crisp, or on top of a cobbler.
    You can even use a tablespoon or two of turbinado sugar in place of white granulated sugar in cookies like sugar cookies, chocolate chip cookies, or oatmeal raisin cookies. The sugar’s large crystals won’t melt so the cookies get some extra texture and crunch, making them all the more special.
    Unlike brown sugar, turbinado sugar won’t harden, which means it will last until you use it up. (And a bag often lasts a long time, especially if you are only using one or two tablespoons of it at a time.)
    You can find turbinado sugar online, as well as at well-stocked grocery stores or specialty stores like Trader Joe’s.
    Go get some! LEGGI TUTTO

  • in Drink

    Episode 169 – Breaking Bloody (Part III: Umami Tsunami)

    Just because Lea & Perrins is the ubiquitous condiment that you’ll find in every major grocery store doesn’t mean it’s the only game in town when it comes to umami sauces. I jumped on a call with Kate Quartaro about the story and ingredients behind her Col. Pabst Worcestershire Sauce, which also has some really cool ties to American drinking culture.
    According to Kate, her mother sourced the recipe for Colonel Pabst Worcestershire Sauce from the kitchen of her grandfather, Gustave Pabst. It was only made occasionally, since it was a complex recipe, but it demonstrates a family tradition of cooking with beer. Gustave’s father (Captain Frederick Pabst) was the founder of the Pabst brewery, which explains the family’s connection to fermented malt products.
    As the oldest son, Gustave became president of Pabst Brewing Co. in Milwaukee upon the death of his father and maintained that position until Prohibition. He married into another brewing family from St. Louis, and the couple subsequently spent time in England, where it is assumed that they derived their recipe for Worcestershire sauce.
    Worcestershire sauce was originally made with malt vinegar (as opposed to the current recipe ingredient, distilled white vinegar), and the Pabst family decided to substitute some of that malt vinegar for the pre-vinegar ferment: beer. According to Kate, this produces a fuller-bodied, richer flavor experience when compared to Worcestershire sauces that only contain malt vinegar. (And to be clear, during the manufacturing process, the alcohol in the beer is boiled out.)
    Many people assume that, due to its connection to the Pabst brewing family, Colonel Pabst Worcestershire Sauce is made with PBR (Pabst Blue Ribbon) beer. That is actually not the case. It’s made with Lakefront Brewery’s Lager, which produces a beef-driven umami flavor when fermented with the other ingredients in the sauce. Some other ingredients in the mix include sustainable anchovies, crushed cinnamon sticks, whole peppercorns, mustard seed, and curry. This produces a rich sauce that is thicker thank most other Worcestershire sauces on the market.
    Colonel Pabst Worcestershire Sauce Tasting
    After hearing about the special malt- and spice-driven flavor profile of Col. Pabst Worcestershire sauce, you KNOW that Cera and I were ready to put it to the test. Here’s how it went.

    Colonel Pabst Worcestershire Sauce – On the nose, it’s very different than Lea & Perrins. The complexity seems “baked in,” whereas the complexity in L&P seems “engineered.” It’s sweeter, darker, and more welcoming, with roasty flavors and welcoming vinegar encouraging a taste. On the palate, it is both meatier and milder than L&P. The mouthfeel is remarkable and buttery, making a point about texture without saying a word. Molasses, curry, and mustard notes back the texture and advance the conversation taking place on the palate. This is not a sauce that requires a palate cleanse, even with a straight tasting.

    The Fermentation Situation
    So, now that we’ve tasted through three different umami sauces, I wanted to return to what is probably the most interesting, misunderstood, and contentious ingredient in Worcestershire sauces around the world: anchovies. And not just any anchovies – the fermented kind.
    Now, fermented fish sauces are part of many cultures around the world, but for some reason they’re not really well liked or well understood by the American palate. I mean, if Lea & Perrins were to market Worcestershire AS a fish sauce, I don’t think you’d see nearly as many people eager to snatch it off the shelves and add it to their next burger mix or sautee.
    Of course, there are a number of reasons why you might not want stinky, fermented fish in your next meal or Bloody Mary, which is exactly why I found recipe developer and food expert Brinda Ayer’s article on Worcestershire sauce substitutes so fascinating. If you want to check that out (and you should), we’ll have a link to it right on the show notes page. But for now, here’s Brinda’s take on fish sauce, fish sauce alternatives, and why fermentation is an important process when it comes to establishing maximum flavor.
    Vegan/Vegetarian Worcestershire Sauce Substitutes
    This whole segment of the podcast is derived from Brinda Ayer’s article on Worcestershire sauce substitutes on Food52. One of the remarkable aspects of this article is that approaches Worcestershire sauce substitutes from so many angles. She comes at it from an ingredient perspective (soy-based, fish-based, vinegar-based, wine-based, and wildcard), and each category of substitutes contains multiple levels of complexity to account for what different home chefs may have in their pantries. There are certain webpages on the internet that are definitive, and this is one of them.
    According to Brinda, soy (and other vegetable ferments) are incredibly low-touch and high-impact. Fermentation adds layers of flavor to a dish, and omitting a fermented ingredient can leave you with a flat flavor profile. And what’s more, some of the ingredients she champions go through multiple fermentations (e.g. sherry vinegar), rendering layers within layers of flavor. Subtlety? Nuance? This is where it’s found.
    Anchovies: The Umami of the Sea LEGGI TUTTO

  • in Recipes

    Pumpkin Chili

    Pumpkin Chili! Made with chunks of pumpkin, ground pork, black beans, a bottle of beer, and plenty of spices. Ready in under an hour. Even better the next day.

    Photography Credit: Aaron Hutcherson

    Pumpkin and chili: two things we all crave every fall. This recipe combines them into one dish. It’s the best of both worlds!
    The pumpkin provides some natural sweetness, which plays well with the different spices. If you aren’t able to find fresh pumpkin, then butternut squash, acorn squash, or any other hard squash would be good substitutes.
    Video! How to Make Pumpkin Chili

    Pumpkin Chili’s Secret Ingredient
    I love using beer in my chili recipes because it adds a rich, earthy flavor and just enough bitterness to balance the richness of the finished dish. Since this is a pumpkin chili, I thought it only fitting to use a pumpkin beer in this recipe. There usually isn’t any real squash in pumpkin beer, but it has a mellow malty flavor and a spiciness that underscores the flavors in this chili really nicely.
    However, you can really use whatever beer you have on hand; I recommend sticking with an amber beer or lager since those usually have a good balance of malty flavors with a light bitterness. (Avoid overly-bitter, hoppy beers for this recipe.) 

    From the editors of Simply Recipes

    What to Serve with Pumpkin Chili
    Top this chili with a spoonful of sour cream and some shredded cheddar cheese, and add a wedge of cornbread alongside. Don’t forget the beer!
    Swaps & Substitutions
    Swap the pumpkin for any other hard winter squash, like butternut, acorn, or kabocha.
    Swap the black beans for your favorite bean. Pintos are especially nice!
    Swap the ground pork for sausage links or ground beef.
    Storing & Freezing Pumpkin Chili
    Like most chilis, this one tastes even better the day after it’s made. Store it in the fridge for up to a week, and reheat leftovers gently in the microwave or on the stovetop.
    You can also freeze this chili for up to three months. We like this method for freezing soup and saving on freezer space!
    More Favorite Chili Recipes

    Updated October 21, 2020 : We spiffed up this post to make it sparkle! No changes to the recipe.

    Pumpkin Chili Recipe

    Ingredients
    Small 1-pound sugar or pie pumpkin, or other hard winter squash
    2 tablespoons vegetable oil
    1 large onion, diced
    2 jalapeños, seeds and ribs removed and finely diced
    4 garlic cloves, minced
    2 tablespoons chili powder
    1 tablespoon cumin
    1 teaspoon ground black pepper
    3 teaspoons kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste
    1 pound ground pork
    2 (15.5-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
    1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
    1 (12-ounce) bottle pumpkin beer (or amber ale or lager)
    Suggested toppings (to serve):
    Tortilla chips
    Sour cream
    Chopped cilantro
    Shredded cheddar cheese

    Method

    1 Prepare the pumpkin: Peel the skin from the pumpkin with a vegetable peeler. Cut it in half and scoop out the seeds. Cut away the stem, then cut the pumpkin into small bite-sized pieces. (See this guide to How to Peel A Butternut Squash; the steps are similar.)
    2 Begin making the soup: Heat the oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Add the cut pumpkin, onion, jalapeños, garlic, chili powder, cumin, black pepper, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook until the vegetables start to soften, 5 to 7 minutes. (The pumpkin should be slightly soft around the edges, but probably won’t be cooked through yet.)
    Add the ground pork, breaking it up with a stiff spatula, and continue to cook until no longer raw, 3 to 5 minutes more. Add the black beans, diced tomatoes, beer, and 1 teaspoon of salt to the pot.

    3 Simmer the soup: Bring the soup to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pumpkin has cooked through and the flavors have had time to mingle, about 30 minutes.
    Taste and add more salt or spices if needed. (If the chili tastes a little bland, add more spices; if the chili tastes a little bitter, add more salt.)
    4 Serve: Divide among bowls and serve with your favorite chili toppings. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for about a week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

    Hello! All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use our photos without prior written permission. Thank you!

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    This post may contain links to Amazon or other partners; your purchases via these links can benefit Simply Recipes. Read more about our affiliate linking policy.

    Aaron Hutcherson
    Aaron or “Hutch” is the blogger behind The Hungry Hutch, which features a delicious variety of savory and sweet recipes. He grew up in the Midwest, but has called New York City home for nearly a decade.
    More from Aaron LEGGI TUTTO

  • in Recipes

    5 Ways to Add Some Spooky to Your Halloween-at-Home

    From marshmallow web cupcakes to black bat floating candles, here are a few super easy, magical ideas for a Halloween at home this year, made totally easy thanks to Walmart+!

    This post is written in partnership with Walmart. 
    I’ve been looking forward to Halloween for the past six months.
    Halloween marks the beginning of the holiday season, and to make it absolutely magical for my family, I’m going to decorate my home from top to bottom!
    If transforming your house into Hogwarts is not normally your thing, have no fear. Thanks to Walmart+, a different kind of membership service that gives you access to benefits that save you time and money, it’s never been easier to create a spooky, festive evening. And with delivery as soon as same day*, it’s a savior if you tend to leave things to the last minute.

    IF YOU’VE GOT IT, HAUNT IT
    Decorating doesn’t have to be complicated. Pick the one place in your home that you tend to congregate the most and start there.
    When I decorate for the holidays, I always start out with a table runner. This buffalo check one is my go-to.
    I’m also all about black candles and black feather boas for Halloween this year! I made a little graveyard with the candles and feathers and placed it on my favorite serving tray. Next, I cut out bats from black cardstock and hung some floating candles. My kids absolutely loved the candles, and they really changed the look of our dining space.

    EAT, DRINK, AND BE SCARY
    On Halloween night, make your dinner as scare-rrific as possible. My kids always request Eyeball Tortellini Soup and Chocolate Covered Strawberry Ghosts, which you can find here.
    Of all the awesome benefits of Walmart+, I think my favorite is that you can not only get the groceries you need delivered as soon as same day*, but can tack on your decorations, household items, and Halloween candy, too. All with the same everyday low prices you know and love!
    Other ghoulish foods to make with your family are:

    TRICK-OR-TREAT INSIDE
    We won’t be going door-to-door this year, so I’m bringing trick-or-treating inside.
    We’ll be having a “candy hunt,” which is similar to an Easter egg hunt—but with candy, and in our costumes, of course! To have a candy hunt, hide candy throughout the house (or stick to one room, if you’d like) and let your little goblins loose.
    After all the candy has been found, place some fun little items in paper bags that say “Trick-or-Treat” on them, and then make your kids do some tricks for these extra special treats. Have each child choose one bag, which is filled with things like nail polish, fun earrings, and glow-in-the-dark glasses (like stocking stuffers, but for Halloween!), then place a list of some “tricks” your kids have to do in order to keep the treat. Some trick examples are:
    Cackle like a witch
    Walk like a zombie across the room
    Make your craziest jack-o-lantern face
    Scream like you saw a ghost
    Name five words that rhyme with treat

    MARSHMALLOW WEB CUPCAKES
    Instead of asking for treats this year, how about baking some treats for your neighbors? It’s like reverse trick-or-treating!
    We have some older neighbors who really love seeing the kids all dressed up, so we plan to bake some chocolate cupcakes for them and do a reverse trick-or-treat. As a test run, I made a batch of these chocolate cupcakes, but decided to go wild and crazy and decorate them with some marshmallow webbing.
    To decorate the cupcakes, simply frost them however you want to, then melt about 1/4 cup of mini marshmallows for 15-20 seconds at a time. Stir with a fork and dip your fingers into the marshmallows. Stretch the melted marshmallows out and wrap around the frosting of the cupcake. The messier, the better.
    And if you’re starting to wonder how we find the time, sometimes I wonder the same thing! Walmart+ certainly helps: we save 2.5 hours a week in using their free unlimited delivery (based on 3 trips per week; excludes time spent shopping. $35 minimum order; restrictions apply).

    MONSTER MASH
    We definitely love to boogie-woogie, so having a dance party is a MUST. I keep this disco light in our kitchen all year round, but this year I decided to add a fog machine. I couldn’t help myself! Turn up the tunes and dance the night away!
    After you’ve danced, you might as well enjoy a movie. There are so many fantastic ones!

    BONUS: MAKE AN OCTOBER BUCKET LIST!
    Why leave all the fun for Halloween night? Make the whole month of October magical! Sit down and create a bucket list with your family, then put it somewhere you’ll see it often. We put ours on the chalkboard that hangs in our dining room. Some fun ideas might be to:
    Carve pumpkins
    Make caramel apples
    Take a midnight walk
    Eat by candlelight
    Rake leaves for our neighbors
    Drink hot apple cider
    Bob for apples
    Tell ghost stories
    And there you have it! There’s so much you can do within the walls of your own home to really make this Halloween one of the best (and most memorable) yet!
    Walmart+ Helps You Pull It All Off!
    There are costumes to pull together and spooky treats to make, and this year our little secret that’s going to make getting everything ready that much easier: Walmart+.
    And the convenience and savings doesn’t just stop at Halloween: Members have access to membership prices on fuel (save 5 cents per gallon at most Walmart and Murphy’s stores) and mobile Scan & Go, allowing you to check out with your phone to make in-store shopping fast, easy, and contact-free! For just $12.95/month or $98/year, sign us up!
    Sign up for Walmart+ Today! 
    *$35 minimum; restrictions apply.  LEGGI TUTTO

  • in Recipes

    Six Spooky Treats for a Sweet Halloween!

    No tricks here – only treats! Browse a bevy of spooky sweets that are perfect for your next Halloween party or fall gathering! 

    October 31st is just around the corner and I’ve been spending some time getting well-equipped for the occasion. I’ve been on the all-important Halloween candy-buying spree (and eating too much of it), I’ve haunted the house with bats and spider décor – and most importantly – I’ve developed some fun new recipes that are so Halloween party appropriate! 

    My friends at HGTV.com asked me to whip up some ghoulishly good party treats for their website, which are all featured and linked in this blog post!

    These dipped apple slices were perhaps my favorite of all the treats featured here. They’re so colorful and cheerful – and I couldn’t stop eating them! The candy coating cracks between your teeth when you bite into the slice, and the fresh apple is crunchy and delicious against tart candy. This recipe is just the thing to make with leftover Halloween candy.
    Find the recipe for Candy-Covered Apple Pops HERE on HGTV.com

    Next up – these silly fellas. I’d seen a few versions of these online made with mini pretzels, and wanted to supersize a few using puffy sourdough pretzels. I love how they turned out! This is such a fun salty-sweet treat that’s not too difficult to make.

    These bubbling cauldron brownie bites are sweet little treats with big chocolate flavor! I was inspired by a few versions I’d seen on Pinterest, but wanted to up the ante with a witchy spin. A witch hat on the side of the cauldrons make these extra-cute, and they assemble quickly with a chocolate kiss, sour fruit lace, an Oreo thin, and a little buttercream to hold them together.

    Invite a fresh bite to the party with a spooky Halloween fruit tray! Banana mummy pops are hilarious and tasty, while peeled clementine oranges make cute pumpkin lookalikes. Monster strawberries are scary-good, especially when dipped in 2-ingredient toasted marshmallow dip!

    I love making baked donuts for any occasion, but I especially love giving them a spooky makeover with marshmallow webbing! The technique is simple and fun, and a fat chocolate spider completes the effect (along with some unlucky candy bugs that are caught in the trap!). 

    This post’s grand finale is a cute pumpkin pail cake that is brimming with trick-or-treat candy! The cake is made using two bundt cakes sandwiched together, and then frosted with orange buttercream. There’s a few steps involved, but they’re all pretty straight-forward. It’s such a fun edible centerpiece!
    Find the recipe for Jack-o’-Lantern Candy Bucket cake HERE on HGTV.com!
    I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing these treats! I sure enjoyed putting them all together. If you’re looking for more Halloween treat ideas, then check out the gallery curated by my pal and editorial whiz, Chelsea Faulkner, at the following link. 
    62 Frightfully Delicious Halloween Dessert Ideas on HGTV.com!  

    link Six Spooky Treats for a Sweet Halloween! By Heather Baird Published: Wednesday, October 21, 2020Wednesday, October 21, 2020Six Spooky Treats for a Sweet Halloween LEGGI TUTTO

  • in Recipes

    Easy Chocolate Cream Pie

    Chocolate, pudding, and pie—the best of all possible worlds! Make the pie filling in the microwave and pour into a pre-baked crust. This make-ahead chocolate pie sets up in a few hours in the fridge, just in time for dessert.

    Photography Credit: Sally Vargas

    What is better than chocolate pudding? Chocolate pudding pie, of course!
    Don’t get me wrong, I love cake, but at the end of the day, the pies have it. Give me some fruit in a crust and you will be my BFF. But sometimes you just need chocolate.
    Video! How to Make Chocolate Pie

    This chocolate cream pie comes together quickly. The filling for this chocolate cream pie is dead easy to make—it’s actually a modified version of our Microwave Chocolate Pudding! It is easy to make the whole pie in the one day without feeling stressed.
    What Kind of Crust for Chocolate Pudding Pie
    Pick a crust—any crust!
    You could make this perfect pie crust or this graham cracker crust. If you want a chocolate crust, simply substitute chocolate wafers for the graham crackers.
    Or if you really need a pie in a hurry, here are a few store-bought crusts that Elise recommends.

    Easy Microwave Chocolate Pie Filling
    Once you have the crust, it’s onto the filling. Do you have 10 minutes? Because that’s all the time you will need to make it in the microwave.
    The only caveat here is to be sure the filling bubbles in the center at the end of cooking to be certain that the cornstarch cooks. Now pour that chocolate goodness into the cooled crust of your choice and wait.
    And wait.
    It feels like forever, but you can get on with your day knowing that by dessert time, you will have a deep, dark chocolate pie in the fridge. No one can argue with that.
    How to Store Chocolate Pudding Pie
    Chocolate cream pie will keep for 3 to 4 days in the fridge, loosely covered. This pie will not freeze well, as the filling tends to weep or separate.
    Other Cream Pies to Try!

    Updated October 20, 2020 : We spiffed up this post to make it sparkle! No changes to the original recipe.

    Easy Chocolate Cream Pie Recipe

    A pie crust should be prepared and baked prior to making this recipe.

    Ingredients
    For the pie:
    1/2 cup sugar
    1/3 cup cornstarch
    2 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder
    1/8 teaspoon salt
    3 cups whole milk
    3 large egg yolks
    4 ounces (about 3/4 cup) 60 to 70% chocolate baking chips, wafers, or chopped chocolate
    2 tablespoons unsalted butter
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    1 (9-inch) pie crust, prepared and baked, such as Perfect Pie Crust
    For the whipped cream:
    1 cup heavy whipping cream
    1 tablespoon sugar
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    Chopped chocolate (for garnish)

    Method

    1 Make the pudding base: In a medium, microwave-safe bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder and salt until blended. Stir in 1/2 cup of the milk and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the egg yolks. Gradually stir in the remaining milk.
     
    2 Microwave the pudding: Partially cover the bowl with plastic wrap, a paper towel, or a plate set slightly askew (so steam can escape). Microwave for 3 minutes. Remove from the microwave, take off the plastic, and whisk the pudding to distribute the heat.
    Partially cover again and microwave 2 more minutes. Remove and whisk again. The pudding have started thickening.
    Continue to microwave in 45-second increments, stirring the pudding between each increment. The pudding is ready when you see the mixture bubbling around the edges and it has thickened enough for the whisk to leave a light trail, or ribbon, through the pudding (it’s ok if it seems a little loose at this point; the pudding will thicken further as it cools). Total cooking time will be 6 to 8 minutes.
     
    3 Add the chocolate, butter and vanilla: Add the chocolate, butter and vanilla to the bowl and stir with a whisk until the chocolate and butter melt and the mixture is smooth.

    4 Fill the pie: Pour the filling into the pie crust. Let cool for 1 hour at room temperature. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill, uncovered, for at least 4 hours or until set. When fully set, the pudding will no longer jiggle when you nudge the pie and a paring knife inserted into the pie should emerge with just a little chocolate on it (not totally gooey).

    5 When ready to serve, make the whipped cream: In the bowl of an electric mixer, stir the cream, sugar, and vanilla together. Beat on medium-high speed until the cream forms soft peaks. Spread the cream over the pie and sprinkle the top with chopped chocolate.
    6 Serve: This pie is best served on the same day that it’s made, or the crust has a tendency to become soggy.

    Hello! All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use our photos without prior written permission. Thank you!

    This post may contain links to Amazon or other partners; your purchases via these links can benefit Simply Recipes. Read more about our affiliate linking policy. LEGGI TUTTO

  • in Recipes

    9 Recipes to Use Up Leftover Pumpkin Purée

    My youngest son loves pumpkin muffins so I have a can or two of pumpkin purée in the pantry at all times. Yet, even when I double the recipe, I often have some purée leftover. It ends up stashed, and, sadly, forgotten in the back of the fridge.
    I know I can’t be the only one with this problem, but I have a solution and few recipes to help you use up what remains of a partially used can of pumpkin.
    Besides using leftover pumpkin for Pumpkin Cookies, it’s also delicious stirred into oatmeal, whisked along with milk and spices for a Pumpkin Spice Latte, or added to smoothies.
    If you must freeze it, pumpkin purée lasts 5-7 days in the refrigerator and three months in the freezer. Freeze leftovers in containers labeled with the date. For smaller amounts, freeze the puree in ice cube trays and then transfer to a ziplock once frozen.
    I’m keeping a list of recipes that I can turn to when I have extra pumpkin to use. I picked recipes that the whole family enjoys, and store well, so that I can have pumpkin-flavored treats whenever the mood strikes.

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