chocolate cream pie
Mexican Chocolate Cream Pie
Chocolate pies are on the top of my list of favorite desserts. They feed into my love for chocolate along with the smooth and luscious texture that I immensely enjoy in chocolate pie. Unlike the original Mexican chocolate cream pie recipe, my version makes up for the fact that it doesn’t use heavy cream, a lot of eggs, and sugar. If fact, I don’t use eggs or dairy milk at all in my Mexican chocolate cream pie recipe. And yet, you still get the flavor and silky texture as you would in a regular chocolate cream pie. The raves and compliments I received from my other chocolate pie recipes verify that. Cooking light doesn’t require you to compromise on the flavors even though certain ingredients have the capacity to alter the texture. From my perspective, cooking light is about making changes in our eating habits while enjoying the foods we love. Cooking light doesn’t entail making that many sacrifices, especially in chocolate cream pies. I don’t often find myself pining for the original ingredients. I sometimes forget that I didn’t use them.
Those who know me well will confirm that I love Mexican food. From tacos to burritos, chili, and enchiladas, I can’t get enough of these dishes. Nachos, in particular, are my favorite Mexican snack food – I normally make my own variation. Oddly enough, I have not tried Mexican themed desserts primarily because of my lack of knowledge and familiarity in that department. When I first discovered Mexican chocolate cream pie, I was thrown off by one of the ingredients; ground chili powder. I’ve eaten many sweet and spicy dishes but not in a form of dessert. The concept behind infusing chili powder and chocolate seemed odd but adventurous to me. It seemed a bit risky but worth taking my chances on. I’m glad to have gambled or my anxiety would have forced me to miss out on this spectacular dessert. I only wish I could have thought to make this pie around Cinco de Mayo. The pie was consumed within 48 hours and we all ate it straight from the pan.
For this recipe, you will need:
- Prepared graham cracker pie crust
- 1/2 cup of granulated raw sugar
- 2 tablespoons of corn starch
- 1 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon of instant espresso powder
- 1/8 teaspoon of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon of chili powder
- 1/3 teaspoon of cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons of flaxseed meal dissolved in 6 tablespoons of water
- 1 3/4 cup of low fat milk of your choice
- 2 ounces of bittersweet chocolate chopped
- 1 cup of reduced calorie dessert whip
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake pie crust for 10 minutes. Combine corn starch,flaxseed meal, cocoa pwoder, espresso powder, sugar, salt, chili powder and cinnamon in a shallow bowl. Place chocolate in another bowl. Place milk in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until bubbles form around the edges. Do not boil. Pour milk over chocolate and let it rest for 2 minutes before whisking. Add the other ingredients while whisking the chocolate. Once completely incorporated, transfer chocolate mixture to the pie crust. Bake for another 10 minutes. Place on wire rack and allow it to completely cool. Cover pie with plastic wrap and chill in the refridgerator for 3 hours or until firm.
In a clean bowl, beat dessert whip till stiff peaks form. Spread or pipe over into chilled chocolate cream pie. Dust with a bit of cocoa powder, chili powder and cinnamon if you like before serving.
Yields 8 servings
Challah Maidel 