A chocolate pie that is as smooth as silk – how can you go wrong?

Ingredients: (Serves 6-8)

• ½ recipe basic crust
• 55 g/2 oz unsalted butter
• 115 g/4 oz unsweetened baking chocolate
• 225 g/8 oz caster sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch (cornflour)
• 3 large eggs
• 1½ teaspoon vanilla essence
• 475 ml/16 fl oz whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon icing sugar
• 28 g/1 oz plain chocolate, melted

Method:

Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/Gas mark 7. Roll out the pastry dough and line a 23-cm/9-inch pie dish. Prick the surface with a fork and prebake for 20 minutes or until the crust is golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Remove from heat. Combine the sugar and cornstarch, add to the chocolate mixture and stir until smooth. Using an electric whisk, beat the eggs on medium until they become light yellow and thick. Stir the eggs into the chocolate mixture and return to medium heat. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and becomes glossy. Whisk in the vanilla. Remove from heat and cool completely.

Using an electric whisk, beat 235 ml/8 fl oz of the cream until stiff. Incorporate the chocolate mixture into the whipped cream, folding gently. Spread the filling evenly over the baked crust. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 4 hours. Use an electric whisk to beat the remaining cream and the icing sugar until stiff. Top the filling with the whipped cream. To garnish, drizzle melted chocolate in lines over the cream. Refrigerate any remaining pie for up to 3 days.