RUN FOR THE ROSES CHOCOLATE PIE WITH BOURBON AND FRESH MINT*

makes two 6” pies
 
For the crust- (this makes more than needed; wrap the extra in plastic and freeze) (special thanks to  Kate Lebo)
 
2½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar
2 sticks (8 oz.) cold, unsalted butter, cut into ½” pieces
½ cup ice cold water combined with 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
 
Place the water/cider vinegar mixture in the freezer. In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, and sugar. Add the cold butter pieces, tossing to coat the butter in the flour mixture. Use your fingers to incorporate the butter, gently rubbing the butter between your fingers. You should have a mixture that is made up of mostly pea-size pieces with a few larger pieces. Retrieve the water from the freezer and pour half of the liquid around the edge of the bowl, tossing the dough to incorporate the water. Add almost all of the remaining liquid, again tossing the dough, just until it becomes shaggy but not overly moist. If the dough feels dry, add an additional tablespoon of water. The dough should just keep its shape. Gather the dough together, divide it in three equal pieces, gently press it into discs and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for at least an hour before rolling. Remove two circles of dough from the refrigerator and let it rest on the counter for about 10 minutes before rolling. On a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper, roll one portion of dough into a circle about 8”or 9” in diameter and about ⅛” thick. Ease the dough into your 6” pie plate without pulling or stretching the dough, leaving a slight overhang. Turn the excess dough under itself, forming an edge. Use you fingertips to crimp the edge and place the pie shell in the freezer for at least an hour before pre-baking. Repeat the process with one more portion of dough.
 
To pre-bake the shell, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Retrieve two pie shells from the freezer and line them with aluminum foil or parchment paper that extends over the sides of the pie shell. Fill the foil (or parchment) with beans or rice or pie weights. Place the pie shells on a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes until the pie shell is golden and holds its shape. Carefully remove the baking sheet from the oven, and remove the foil/parchment and beans/rice/pie weights from the pie plates. Lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Use a fork to prick the bottom of the pie shells and return them to the oven for an additional 5-7 minutes, or until the crusts are golden. Transfer the pie shells to a cooling rack and let them cool while you prepare the filling. (Pie shells can be made the day before, cooled completely and covered with a sheet of parchment paper.)
 
 
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Place one oven rack in the middle of the oven.
 
For the filling-
 
½ cup whole milk
½ cup heavy cream
6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
¼ teaspoon salt
1 large egg
4 large, fresh mint leaves, lightly rinsed, dried and finely chopped
2 tablespoons bourbon
 
In a heavy bottomed saucepan, bring the milk and cream to a simmer, add the chopped mint leaves and let the mixture steep for 15 minutes. Return the saucepan to the heat just to rewarm the mixture; do not let it boil.
 
Place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Pour the cream through a fine mesh strainer, over the chocolate, pressing on the mint leaves with a rubber spatula.
Let the chocolate and cream sit for a few minutes, add the salt then whisk until the mixture is smooth and the chocolate is melted.
 
Place the egg into a medium bowl. Slowly add a little of the warm chocolate mixture to the egg, whisking constantly, then continue to gradually add the rest of the chocolate and the bourbon. Pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer set over a Pyrex glass measuring cup or a large pitcher.
 
Place the pre-baked pie shells on a parchment lined baking sheet. Divide the chocolate mixture evenly between the two pie shells. Bake the pies on the middle rack of the oven for 20-25 minutes, just until the chocolate filling has set around the edges and the middle of the pies are jiggly. Be careful not to overbake; the pies will continue to set up as they cool. Remove the baking sheet to a cooking rack and cool the pies for an hour. Serve the pies at room temperature. Any leftovers should be covered and refrigerated.
 
 
(*Fresh mint really is key here- substituting mint extract doesn’t do the recipe justice.)