The “pie” is cast…
In Chocolate Cream Pie Murder by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Joanne Fluke, Hannah Swensen’s bakery becomes the setting of a star-studded TV special about movies filmed in Minnesota. Hannah hopes to shine a spotlight on The Cookie Jar—not the unsavory scandal swirling around her personal life. But that’s practically impossible as a deadly mystery unfolds in town, and Hannah must serve a hefty helping of justice to an unnamed killer prowling around Lake Eden…before someone takes a slice out of her!
With 37 delectable recipes included, Chocolate Cream Pie Murder isn’t all about solving Lake Eden’s latest murder. Sally, Hannah’s friend and innkeeper, has a Chocolate Cream Pie recipe that is so criminally good, you’ll go back for a second (and third) slice!
Sally’s Chocolate Cream Pie
This pie is a pudding pie with whipped cream and does not bake in the oven.
Ingredients
The Crust:
9-inch prepared chocolate cookie, Graham cracker, or vanilla cookie crust.
The Chocolate Filling:
6 large egg yolks
3/4 cup white (granulated) sugar
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
3 cups light cream (Half n’ Half)
1 cup mini chocolate chips, finely chopped
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) salted butter
The Whipped Cream Topping:
1 and 1/2 cups heavy (whipping) cream
1/4 cup powdered (confectioners) sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Decorations: (optional)
shaved chocolate
chocolate curls
To Make the Filling:
Place egg yolks in a medium-size saucepan, off the heat. Whisk until combined.
Add white sugar and cornstarch. Whisk thoroughly.
Over MEDIUM-HIGH heat, add light cream SLOWLY, whisking continuously.
Whisk and bring to a boil. Cook until the mixture is slightly thickened (3 to 4 minutes).
Whisk in finely chopped chocolate chips and salted butter. Keep your whisk moving the entire time!
Turn the burner to LOW heat and continue to whisk until the mixture is as thick as pudding (5 to 6 minutes).
Remove to a cold stovetop burner and cool for 5 minutes.
Use a heat-resistant rubber spatula to transfer the cooled chocolate mixture to the pie crust.
Cover the surface of the chocolate layer with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (Overnight is fine, too).
To Make the Whipped Cream Topping:
Hannah’s Note: As a shortcut, stir 1/4 cup butterscotch or caramel ice cream topping into a small tub of thawed Cool Whip. Top your pie before slicing.
For homemade whipped cream, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form.
Turn off the mixer and sprinkle in the powdered sugar. Mix it in on HIGH speed.
With the mixer running, sprinkle in the vanilla extract and mix.
Turn off the mixer, give the bowl a final stir by hand, and top each slice of pie with a generous dollop of whipped cream.
To decorate, sprinkle the slices with shaved chocolate or chocolate curls, or drizzle the whipped cream with butterscotch or caramel ice cream topping.
Yield: This yummy, very rich pie will serve from 6 to 8 people.
Get your copy of CHOCOLATE CREAM PIE MURDER HERE!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
JOANNE FLUKE is the New York Times bestselling author of the Hannah Swensen mysteries, which include Raspberry Danish Murder, Wedding Cake Murder, Double Fudge Brownie Murder, Blackberry Pie Murder, and the book that started it all, Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder. That first installment premiered as Murder, She Baked: A Chocolate Chip Cookie Mystery on the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Channel, and has since been followed by three more TV movie adaptations (and counting!) based on the series and starring Alison Sweeney. Like Hannah Swensen, Joanne Fluke was born and raised in a small town in rural Minnesota, but now lives in Southern California.