FOOD NEWS
A Chocolate Coating Can Curb Disaster For Runny Pies
BY STEPHANIE FRIEDMAN
Pies like pecan pie are delicious because of their creamy filling, but the rich liquid can seep into your crust, turning it soggy. Melted chocolate can help prevent a runny pie.
First, blind-bake your dough, which means baking it with pie weights. Once the crust is totally cool, use a pastry brush to coat the bottom and inner sides with melted chocolate.
Then, stick the crust in the fridge until the chocolate hardens. Dump in your filling and bake, and your crust should come out flaky and non-soggy, thanks to the chocolate shield.
If you don’t want to melt the chocolate ahead of time, turn the oven off after blind baking, throw ½ a cup of chocolate chips on the crust, and put it back in for a few minutes.
Once the chips are melted, go in with your pastry brush to spread it evenly. Naturally, the chocolate coating will enhance the flavor of chocolate-heavy pies, like derby pie.
The chocolate also complements pumpkin pie, raspberry pie, and banana pudding pie. If your pie doesn't pair well with chocolate, seek out other techniques to keep the crust sturdy.