Many people don’t bother to blind bake their crust when making chess and chocolate chess pies, and they turn out fine, but not exactly crisp. Baking in the bottom third of the oven will help, but a quick blind bake menu will make for a superior pie!
Ingredients:
- 1 pie crust, store-bought or homemade
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder, optional
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
- 2/3 cup evaporated milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Lightly sweetened whipped cream, for serving, optional
Method:
Preheat the oven and prep the crust:Arrange an oven rack in the bottom 1/3 of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F if you plan to blind bake your crust or 350°F if you’re skipping it.Line a 9-inch pie pan with a rolled-out pie crust, crimping the edge with a fork or use your fingers to pinch the dough and form a fluted edge. Ensure there are no holes or cracks in the dough so the filling doesn’t seep through.
TipIf your pie dough becomes warm at any point, stick it in the fridge for 10 minutes. สมัคร ufabet
Optional: Blind bake the crust:For a crisp crust that is guaranteed to not be soggy on the bottom, blind bake it first. Spray a roughly 12-inch long piece of aluminum foil with cooking spray, then place it oiled side-down in the crust, gently forming it to the shape of the pan and covering the edges. Fill with pie weights or dried beans.

Bake at 400°F until the edges look dry, about 10 minutes. Remove the pie from the oven and carefully remove the pie weights and aluminum foil. Return to the oven and bake just until the center of the crust looks dry, about 5 minutes. If any bubbles pop up during the second bake, gently press them down with the back side of a fork (avoid puncturing the crust).
Remove from the oven and let cool until just warm, 15 to 30 minutes.TipYou can bake the crust an hour or two ahead of time and leave it out to cool until you’re ready to bake the pie.
Turn the oven temperature down to 350°F.
Make the filling:
In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder, espresso powder (if using), and salt, breaking up any lumps. Add the melted butter, evaporated milk, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk to combine.
Fill the pie and bake:Pour the filling into the prepared crust and very carefully transfer the pie to the bottom rack of the oven.Bake at 350°F until the center is just set (it’s okay if it jiggles just slightly when you nudge the pan), 40 to 45 minutes. The bake time is the same whether or not you blind baked the crust first.
Cool and serve:Let the pie cool completely on a cooling rack until room temperature before serving. If not serving right away, loosely cover and store the pie in the fridge. Leftovers will keep, covered, in the fridge for up to 4 days. It tastes great cold or at room temperature. Cooled pie can be wrapped tightly and frozen for up to a month.