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Yelapa-Style Chocolate Pie

Yelapa-Style Chocolate Pie

This decadent, cocoa-rich pie comes from the beaches of Yelapa, where pies are eaten in hand, by the slice.

By Rose HattabaughFebruary 10, 2022

  • Makes
    8 to 10 servings
  • Cook Time
    45 minutes
  • Active time plus cooling
    15 minutes active, plus cooling
  • Rating

In Yelapa, on the west coast of central Mexico, Chelly Rodriguez is known as the Pie Lady. For more than two decades, she’s been selling home-baked pies by the slice, to be eaten out of hand while lounging or strolling on the beach. Food writer and recipe developer Paola Briseño-González re-created Rodriguez’s chocolate pie (pay de chocolate in Spanish), complete with a sandy, cookie-like crust and a dark, cocoa-rich filling that holds its shape whether you serve slices at room temperature or chilled. Dutch-processed cocoa is the best type to use here, as the alkali added during processing gives it a deep, dark hue. That said, natural cocoa will work but the filling will be lighter in color. When lining the pie plate with the rolled dough, if the dough tears, not to worry, as it’s easy to patch. To prevent shrinking and slipping during baking, the foil-lined pie shell is filled with about 2 cups of pie weights. The weights are removed after about 20 minutes, then the pie shell is returned to the oven to allow it to brown all over. This pie is a perfect dessert to bring to an outdoor gathering. Store leftovers well wrapped in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Tip

Don’t let the filling reach a vigorous simmer on the stovetop. Be sure to pull the pan off the heat when the mixture reaches a gentle simmer and has thickened to the consistency of sour cream. Whereas a solid simmer or a boil is desirable when making a standard pudding or pastry cream, the finished texture of this filling will become too thick if it reaches that point, as baking will “set” it even more.

Ingredients
  • 321

    grams (1½ cups) white sugar

  • 43

    grams (½ cup) Dutch-processed cocoa powder

  • 33

    grams (¼ cup) all-purpose flour

  • 25

    grams (3 tablespoons) cornstarch

  • ¾

    teaspoon table salt

  • 8

    large egg yolks

  • 2 ½

    cups whole milk

  • 1

    tablespoon vanilla extract

  • Pat-in-the-Pan Hot-Water Pie Crust, partially baked and cooled

Step 1

Heat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle position. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, cocoa, flour, cornstarch and salt. Whisk in the egg yolks and milk. Pour the mixture into a large saucepan.

Step 2

Have ready a fine-mesh sieve set over a medium bowl. Set the saucepan over medium and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, whisking constantly (do not allow it to reach a vigorous simmer); it will thicken to the consistency of sour cream. Immediately scrape the mixture into the sieve and work it through with a silicone spatula; be sure to scrape the bottom of the sieve to collect the filling that clings. Whisk in the vanilla.

Step 3

Pour the filling into the pie crust, then carefully tilt the pie so the filling settles in an even layer. Bake until the filling jiggles slightly when the pie is gently shaken, 30 to 35 minutes.

Step 4

Cool completely on a wire rack. Serve at room temperature or refrigerate for about 2 hours (cover if refrigerating longer) and serve chilled.