The Posh Pie

December 19, 2015

Bavarian Cream is the ultimate pleasure. I learned how to make bavarian cream while making charlottes. This classic chocolate bavarian cream billows in delicate texture while holding the deep chocolate flavour. You won’t taste a single calorie. It slices beautifully: the knife, as it sinks into the filling, slices through the cookie crust. Everyone watches when the first slice comes out. I’ve never met a bavarian cream that I didn’t love—not ever. The Posh Pie is best served cool.

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Ingredients

Volume Grams Ounces

Instructions

CHOCOLATE WAFERS FOR THE COOKIE CRUST

Essentially, the wafer dough was very easy to assemble and the instructions are quite clear, but some of the instructions seemed unnecessary. Why the need to poke them with a fork to prevent them from puffing? And why the need to butt the dough against a straight edge to keep them square? When in the end, they will be whizzed up in the food processor.

Dry ingredients for the chocolate wafers.

Butter, sugars and vanilla beaten together.

I wrapped the dough loosely in plastic and left the two ends open, then rolled each piece to 1/4 inch in the plastic wrap and refrigerated them.

I know this is a weird shot, but I was trying to show the dough rolled to 1/4 inch inside the plastic.

When the time came to bake, I simply unwrapped them, cut them into 2 inch squares, willy nilly.

The end result. Whizzed up chocolate wafers.

FORM AND CHILL THE PIE SHELL

When I baked cakes for restaurants, I often made a Lemon Cheese Cake with a Graham Cracker Crust. The secret to that crust was to press it very firmly into the pie shell, otherwise it wouldn’t slice well. The only difference between that crust and this Chocolate Wafer Crust is that I pre-baked the graham crackers. When I saw that I wouldn’t be baking this Chocolate Wafer Crust, I wondered why not? Would it hold together and slice well? It held together perfectly and wasn’t overly crunchy against the cream filling.

The chocolate wafers pressed firmly into the pie plate.

CHOCOLATE BAVARIAN CREAM FILLING

I felt very comfortable assembling this cream.

Straining the custard into the chopped chocolate.

The chocolate beginning to melt into the custard.

Adding the egg whites to the chocolate custard.

Folding the meringue and chocolate custard.

The whipped cream being added to the chocolate and meringue. Becoming Bavarian Cream.

Pouring the cream into the chocolate crust.

CHOCOLATE LACQUER GLAZE

I made this lacquer early in the AM, still in my nightgown and before I took the dog for his walk. Coffee brewing, a little radio and a quiet dog and husband—GOOD. I could concentrate.

When cooling the lacquer, I don’t let it cool to 85 degrees, as instructed. The last time I made this lacquer, it stiffened up and didn’t pour well. Now I cool it to about 90 degrees and it pours easily, and settles into a smooth and glossy finish.

The cooled lacquer wasn’t as smooth. Maybe I didn’t let the gelatine melt well enough? Or the chocolate?

A Note on the Photography: Ben Fink’s images of The Posh Pie are simply beautiful. I lusted over the camera angles, the styling and the lighting. In the spirit of the expression “imitation is the best form of flattery,” I attempted to emulate his shot