CHOCOLATE PIE WITH MAPLE CREAM AND WHISKEY

(inspired by Toronto’s Holy Cannoli and Canadian Living Magazine)
 
Makes one 9” pie (baked in a 9” springform pan)
 
For the crust-
 
1½ cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons maple sugar
½ teaspoon kosher salt
4 oz. (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½” pieces
3 tablespoons ice cold water combined with 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
 
In a large bowl, toss together the flour, maple sugar, and salt. Add the cold butter pieces and use a bench scraper or your fingertips to cut the butter into the flour mixture. The butter should be the size of small peas. Drizzle the cold water/vinegar over the flour/butter mixture, tossing until the dough just holds together. Gather the dough together, pat it into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour before rolling out.
 
On a large sheet of parchment paper lightly dusted with flour, roll out the dough into a circle about 14” in diameter. Fold the circle in half, then in half again; (this makes transferring to the springform pan easier) and place the dough in the center of the springform. Unfold it and gently smooth the dough along the bottom and up the sides of the pan. You want about an extra inch all the way around the pan which you will roll under itself, forming a sturdy rim. Refrigerate the pan (or better yet, place it in the freezer) for at least 30 minutes.
 
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
 
Line the cold pastry with a sheet of parchment paper or aluminum foil. Fill the pan with dried beans or pie weights. Place the pan on a baking sheet and bake on the middle rack of the oven for 15-18 minutes. Using oven mitts, carefully remove the parchment/foil and beans/pie weights from the pan. Lower the oven to 325 degrees F and bake the crust for an additional 5-8 minutes, just until golden.  Set aside to cool while you prepare the filling. Maintain the oven temperature at 325 degrees F.
 
For the filling-
 
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate (no more than 60% dark)
8 oz. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1” pieces
½ cup unsweetened, dark cocoa powder
1½ cups sugar
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
4 tablespoons maple syrup (dark Amber)
4 large whole eggs, plus 1 egg yolk, room temperature
3 tablespoons sour cream (in desperate times I’ve used unsweetened Greek yogurt-works fine)
¼ cup Canadian whiskey
 
In a large heatproof bowl set over simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter. Remove from the heat, whisk in the cocoa and set aside.
 
In another large bowl, whisk together the sugar, salt, maple syrup, whole eggs and egg yolk until smooth. Add the sour cream, then the whiskey, and finally the chocolate/butter/cocoa mixture. Place a fine mesh strainer over the large bowl you used for melting the butter, and pour the pie filling through the strainer to remove any lumps.
 
Place the springform pan with the pre-baked crust on a parchment lined baking sheet. Carefully pour the filling into the pan and bake the pie on the middle rack of the pre-heated oven for 35 minutes. Check after 35 minutes; the outer edges of the pie should be firm but the middle should jiggle ever so slightly. It may need an additional 5-8 minutes in the oven. (The pie will continue to set as it cools.) Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a rack. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate the pie in the springform pan. (This makes it easier to remove the pan ring without injuring the crust.) Prepare the Maple Whipped Cream.
 
For the Maple Whipped Cream-
 
1 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons maple syrup (dark amber)
1 tablespoon Canadian whiskey
 
Beat cream in a chilled bowl until soft peaks form. Add maple syrup and whiskey and beat until thick. Finish whisking by hand. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
 
To serve-
 
Use an offset spatula to gently loosen the pie crust from the outer ring of the springform pan. Unclasp the pan and transfer the pie (still on the base of the springform) to a serving platter. Garnish with Maple Whipped Cream. Cover and refrigerate any leftovers.