Chocolate Chess Pie with Cornbread Crumble

Crunchy cacao elevates the crust for this updated take on the Southern classic.

Serves
serves 8
Time
1 hour

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOSEPH DE LEO

Updated on October 18, 2021

Chef Scott Crawford of the French-style bistro, Jolie, in Raleigh updates the simple Southern custard pie by adding cacao nibs to the butter crust and sprinkling a nutty cornbread crumble on top. Check out 25 more pie recipes that make the world go round.

Featured in: "Middle of Somewhere."

Ingredients

For the Cacao Nib Crust

1 ¹⁄₂ cups flour, plus more for dusting
1 tbsp. sugar
¹⁄₂ tsp. kosher salt
12 tbsp. unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
6 tbsp. cacao nibs
2 tbsp. ice-cold water

For the Cornbread Crumble and Chocolate Custard

³⁄₄ cup brown sugar
³⁄₄ cup masa harina
¹⁄₄ cup fine cornmeal
³⁄₄ tsp. kosher salt, divided
10 tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
1 ¹⁄₄ cups sugar
¹⁄₂ cup cornstarch
6 tbsp. cocoa powder
6 eggs
2 ¹⁄₂ cups milk
1 ¹⁄₄ cups heavy cream
5 oz. semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped

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Instructions

Step 1

Make the crust: Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor; add butter and pulse until pea-size crumbles form. Add cacao nibs and water; pulse into a smooth dough. Flatten into a disk; wrap in plastic wrap and chill 3 hours.

Step 2

Heat oven to 375°. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 12-inch circle; fit into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim edges and crimp; chill 30 minutes. Using a fork, prick the dough all over; line with parchment paper and fill with pie weights; bake 15 minutes. Remove paper and weights; cook 15 minutes more.

Step 3

Make the crumble: Heat oven to 300°. Combine sugar, flour, cornmeal, and salt in a food processor and pulse until combined; add butter and pulse until pea-size crumbles form. Transfer to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake until golden brown, 30 minutes. Break up into coarse crumbs, then cool.

Step 4

Make the custard: In a 4-qt. saucepan, whisk sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder, salt, and eggs until smooth; stir in milk and cream. Cook over medium until thickened, 10–12 minutes. Stir in chocolate until melted, then pass custard through a fine sieve. Pour into cooled pie crust and top with crumble. Chill before serving.

Make the crust: Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor; add butter and pulse until pea-size crumbles form. Add cacao nibs and water; pulse into a smooth dough. Flatten into a disk; wrap in plastic wrap and chill 3 hours.
Heat oven to 375°. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 12-inch circle; fit into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim edges and crimp; chill 30 minutes. Using a fork, prick the dough all over; line with parchment paper and fill with pie weights; bake 15 minutes. Remove paper and weights; cook 15 minutes more.
Make the crumble: Heat oven to 300°. Combine sugar, flour, cornmeal, and salt in a food processor and pulse until combined; add butter and pulse until pea-size crumbles form. Transfer to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake until golden brown, 30 minutes. Break up into coarse crumbs, then cool.
Make the custard: In a 4-qt. saucepan, whisk sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder, salt, and eggs until smooth; stir in milk and cream. Cook over medium until thickened, 10–12 minutes. Stir in chocolate until melted, then pass custard through a fine sieve. Pour into cooled pie crust and top with crumble. Chill before serving.