In this Homemade French Silk Pie recipe, a flaky pie crust is filled with a chocolate cream filling and topped with homemade whipped cream! This chocolate silk pie recipe is made from scratch and tastes even better than Baker's Square or Village Inn!
Place the flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor fitted with an “S” blade and pulse to combine.
Add the shortening and cold water and process until the mixture resembles a coarse meal, begins to stick together, and holds together when pinched.
Remove dough from processor (will be crumbly) and form into a ball.
Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, and up to one day (overnight).
After the dough has chilled, preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Roll out dough on a well-floured surface or pastry cloth.
Place it into a deep, 9-inch, round pie plate and pinch the edges to form a crust.
Prick dough with a fork, set a piece of parchment paper on top of the crust, then add pie weights. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until it just begins to brown. If any bubbles form, gently deflate them by pricking with a fork or sharp knife.
Set aside to cool. (You can set the crust in a cool place like the refrigerator or outside on a cold day, to expedite the cooling process).
Make the Whipped Topping:
Add 1 ¼ cups of whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla to the bowl of a standing mixer.
Beat, starting on low speed. Increase the speed to high as the mixture begins to thicken.
Beat on high speed for 1-2 minutes, or until soft peaks form.
Transfer to another bowl, or to a large piping bag, and set aside in the refrigerator.
Make the Chocolate Filling:
Whip ¾ cup whipping cream (for the filling) in a standing mixer fitted with the wire whisk attachment on high until stiff peaks form. Set aside in the refrigerator.
Melt chocolate in the microwave or over a double boiler, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Set aside to cool.
Cream butter sugar, powdered sugar and vanilla together with an electric mixer for 3 minutes or until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is light and fluffy.
Add melted chocolate and beat for 60 seconds, pausing and scraping down the sides once halfway through.
Add eggs one at a time, beating on medium speed for 2 minutes after each addition.
Fold in the ¾ cup of whipped cream cream by hand.
Assembling the French Silk Pie:
Evenly spread the chocolate filling into the baked and cooled pie crust.
Top with whipped topping in one of two ways: 1) Simply spread the whipped topping over the pie with a spatula or 2) Pipe the whipped topping on top with a decorator’s tip to make a pretty design.
Place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Serve cold and enjoy!
Video
Notes
How to freeze French Silk Pie (either the whole pie or a slice)
Place assembled pie in the freezer, or leftover slices on a baking sheet in the freezer. Make sure it is on a flat surface with plenty of space so that it doesn't get bumped while the whipped cream is still soft.
Freeze for 2 hours, or until the whipped cream is frozen solid.
Tightly wrap with plastic wrap and freeze for up to 2 months.
To thaw: Transfer the frozen pie to the refrigerator at least 24 hours before you would like to serve it. The pie can be thawed at room temperature a little more quickly, but then you run the risk of it getting too warm.Ingredient substitutions
Pie Crust: If you make the pie crust I recommend not making any substituions, except that you can swap shortening for butter, and follow this all-butter pie crust recipe. Or use Oreo Pie Crust, or store-bought crust for convenience.
Salted Butter. unsalted butter can be used in place of salted butter.
Semi-sweet chocolate. You can use any form (chips, chocolate bars, melting discs, etc.) or any percentage of chocolate in this recipe and it will taste amazing. Just be aware, lighter (milk) chocolate yields a sweeter pie, while darker or unsweetened chocolate makes for a richer, less sweet pie. I personally love using unsweetened chocolate, but my family all preferred semi-sweet!
Whipping cream. Heavy whipping cream, whipping cream, or heavy cream each work well in this recipe. I discuss the difference in this post: how to make whipped cream.