Gingersnap Chocolate Cream Pie with Toasted Meringue
This decadent pie has it all: thick homemade gingersnap crust, nice even layer of chocolate cream filling and topped with a swiss meringue that is toasted to perfection.
Gingersnap Crust
Why make a homemade crust? Making a homemade pie crust is worth the effort because it allows complete control over the spice and flavor. Meaning, the crust can be just as delicious—with depth of flavor—as the filling and pie toppings. For example, in this gingersnap crust you’ll find cinnamon, ginger, allspice, mustard seed, and ground pepper. Further, molasses is added, giving the crust that nostalgic comfort feeling you can’t beat during the holiday season. Lastly, by making a homemade crust, the use of processed cookies is eliminated. My test group immediately knew the crust was homemade and could taste the difference.
This homemade pie crust first begins by making a small batch of gingersnap cookies, which are baked until extra crispy, ground into fine crumbs with a food processor, tossed with butter, and then pressed into a pie tin, baking 5-7 minutes at 350 degrees F. This process yields a flavorful and thick pie crust, that elevates the dessert. I purposefully went for a thick crust because it’s my favorite part.
In choosing a brand for molasses, I recommend Grandma’s® Molasses, which looks like this. Keep in mind, a stronger molasses—like blackstrap or something super robust—will yield darker crust, while also making the molasses flavor pretty powerful. For my palate, Grandma’s is my favorite and go-to.
Making The Chocolate Filling
This pie requires a few steps. I chose to make a chocolate pudding rather than an egg based custard because it tastes just as lovely, while making for an easier process. I was intentional about the ratio of chocolate to crust and meringue, as I didn’t want the chocolate flavor to overpower the other ingredients. You will notice the chocolate layer is on the thin side, complimenting the flavors, rather than taking over. It’s a trifecta of ingredient stars.
A Note On Swiss Meringue
I adore meringue, and love the Swiss varietal because it’s relatively easy, but just as delicious as its more difficult counterpart, Italian Meringue. Meringue is made of two ingredients—egg whites and sugar—but they are prepared in such a way that gives a beautifully fluffy texture, that can then be piped, baked, used for decoration, or even made into buttercream.
To make the meringue, simply fill the metal bowl of a stand mixer with egg whites and sugar—for this recipe, we use three large egg whites and ¾ cup granulated sugar. Place the bowl over a double boiler with simmering water, whisking until incorporated. For my family, I simply wait until the sugar has dissolved—meaning, when the mixture is rubbed between two fingers the consistency is smooth with no sugar granules—but if making for a crowd, or if concerned about salmonella, the sugar and egg white mixture can be whisked continually, and heat treated until 160 degrees F.
Next, remove the mixing bowl from the simmering water, and immediately lock it into a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Starting on medium-low, whisk the mixture until it starts to froth and foam. From this point, slowly start to crank the mixer up to medium-high, letting the beautiful meringue begin to thicken and form its peaks. For my mixer, this process can take sometimes 6-10 minutes. Once the meringue is at the stage of stiff peaks, it is directly placed on top of the chilled pie. Toasting the top with a handheld kitchen torch takes this pie to the next level, making it irresistible.
Final Tip
Make sure to bake the gingersnap cookies until crisp. Normally, we want those crunchy edges with a soft chewy center, but when making a homemade crust, we want the cookies baked until crisp. This will allow for proper crumbs when the cookies are put into the food processor.
Lastly, when making the chocolate pudding, be patient. The time it takes for the pudding to begin to bubble and thicken varies. When ready to pull from the stove, the consistency should look that of a curd, or of the beginnings of a wetter pudding. This is the correct time to pull from the stove, and add the chocolate and vanilla. The pudding will continue to thicken off stove. Once poured into the pie crust, cover with plastic wrap—placed directly on the pudding to prevent a skin from forming—and place in the fridge to set overnight.
Enjoy!
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