Introduction: "Fakers Square" Chocolate Silk Pie

By My Store-Boyfriend Badges
About: I'm an animation director by day and Queen of the monsters by night. I picked up most of my costume and prop building skills through hands on experimentation with materials. Experimentation led to addiction,…

*THANKS to everyone who helped us make it into the finals of the Pi/Pie contest! We hope you'll try this pie out at home for yourselves because it's easier to make than you think and the taste will have you hooked!

My boyfriend was reminiscing about the best chocolate silk pie he's ever had from Baker's Square in Illinois. Since I've never had it, he set to experimenting in order to find the perfect copycat recipe. The following is his version, based on recommendations you can find online, but tweaked and perfected over many trial pies (Poor me. I had to suffer ALL these trial pies).

It's actually not difficult to make, but your friends' minds will be blown if you show up to a party with one of these professional and elaborate looking pies! Send us a vote in the Pi/Pie Contest if you see this and want a piece!

Step 1: Ingredients and Prep

Pie Ingredients

1 Frozen Pie Crust (Mark recommends Mrs. Smith's)

1 Cup (2 sticks) Butter

1.5 Cups Baker's Sugar - this sugar is finer than regular sugar and will blend easier for a fluffier pie filling.

2oz Baking Chocolate - Mark thinks the pie tastes best with 1oz unsweetened, 1oz semi-sweet

< 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

4 Eggs

Whipped Topping Ingredients

2 Tbsp regular Sugar

1 Cup whipping cream

Prep: Stick a glass/metal mixing bowl in the freezer before you begin. This is for mixing your whipped cream later. A chilled bowl will help you obtain the proper consistency of whipped topping faster than a room temp bowl.

Step 2: Bake the Crust

Preheat your oven according to the crust's baking instructions. Ours said 350 degrees.

Poke holes in the bottom of your crust with a fork. This will prevent bubbling as it bakes.

Leave crust in the oven while you prep some of your other ingredients. It should turn a nice golden brown in 5-10 minutes. Remove from oven when it looks done.

Remember to turn off your oven! This is a no bake pie, so you won't need to get in there again.

Step 3: Butter and Baker's Sugar

Unwrap your butter and place it all in a microwaveable dish.

Microwave for 30-40 seconds only. You want to soften, but NOT liquify. Liquified butter will compromise the consistency of your filling.

Place softened butter into a mixing bowl.We like to use a flexible plastic bowl for easy pouring later on.

Add your 1.5 Cups Baker's Sugar to the mixing bowl.

Cream butter and sugar together using a fork, until fluffy (and super delicious looking).

Step 4: Chocolate and Vanilla

Now you're going to soften your baking chocolate. You can place 2 oz. worth in the same microwaveable dish you just used for the butter.

* After trying this recipe a number of times Mark decided that 1 oz unsweetened and 1 oz semi-sweet best mimicked the flavor of a true Baker's Square pie.

Microwave 1 minute. Chocolate may not appear very melted, but if you poke it with a spatula the center should be molten. Use the heat of this inner core to liquify the rest of the block as you stir.

*CRUST ALERT! Before you continue with your pie filling, check that crust! This is about the time you'll probably want to remove it from the oven.

Add chocolate to your mixing bowl and hand mix until the color is consistent throughout.

Stir in slightly less than 1tsp Vanilla Extract. Many recipes online call for 1-2 full teaspoons, but Mark felt that these amounts overwhelmed the flavor of the pie. We came for chocolate, and chocolate we shall have!

Step 5: Eggs, Eggs, and More Egg

You will be using a total of 4 Eggs in this pie. *NOTE: One helpful user pointed out to me that those who are pregnant or immune-compromised may wish to pasteurize their eggs before use in this recipe. While it is unlikely for an egg to carry salmonella, it may be worth the extra step if you are more suseptible to harm from it. See pasteurization instructions here.

Here's the trickiest part of the recipe: You have to blend the eggs into the filling mixture ONE BY ONE.

Add egg #1 and use a electric mixer to fluff everything together for 3-5 MINUTES.Use a kitchen timer or watch the clock, whichever you prefer, but don't skimp on mixing time!

You'll notice a difference right after the first egg. The filling mixture will be lighter in color and thicker/ fluffier.

Repeat with egg #2, again for 3-5 minutes.

Repeat with egg #3, also 3-5 minutes.

Repeat with egg #4, you guessed it......3-5 minutes.

By the end off your eggs your filling will be super creamy, fluffy, and should peak easily.

Step 6: Pour and Chill

Pour your chocolate filling into your crust, which has a had a bit of time to cool by now. Here's where that flexible plastic bowl comes in handy; you can control the pour better by folding the sides in a bit and making a spout.

Use a spatula to help the remaining filling out of the bowl and into the crust. The filling should generally settle to fill the crust.

A natural pour may leave you with lumps. Use your spatial to smooth the top and evenly distribute the filling.

Place pie in the fridge and chill for a minimum of 2 hours. If you really want to make sure it sets well, leave it in overnight.

Step 7: Whipped Cream Topping

Remember that glass bowl we stuck in the freezer before? Get that sucker out!

Pour 1 Cup whipping cream into the bowl.

Beat with electric mixer on high for 2-3 minutes, or until you get soft peaks.

Add 2 Tbsp regular sugar.

Continue to beat another 2-3 minutes until you have firm peaks and cream is dense enough that you can leave an impression in it.

Place the cream in the fridge until your pie has set and you are ready to use it.

Step 8: Finishing Touches

When your pie is set, remove both pie and your whipped cream from the fridge.

Use a spatula or large spoon to dollop the cream onto the top of the pie.

Use your spatula to spread the topping out to the crust edges, then smooth the surface of the cream.

Optional Chocolate Shavings

I've read some fancier methods for making legit chocolate shavings, but this quickie version seems to work just as well in terms of adding a little extra flavor and visual flair.

Simply grate a chunk of your baking chocolate over the pie with a standard cheese grater. It'll give you sort of a choco-confetti, rather than full curls.

Your "Faker's Square" pie is ready to be devoured, for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! If you think you want to give this recipe a shot, post an "I Made It" pic and please send us a vote for the Pi/Pie Contest!