Nutella hot chocolate pie
A pie based on my favorite holiday drink, a nutella hot chocolate! This baked pie is similar to a custard and it’s actually flour-less.
It bakes in 45 minutes to create a beautiful crackly top and a soft but set filling.
Just whisk a nutella hot chocolate into an egg and sugar mixture and that’s it! It’s easy as can be.
Ingredients: you’ll need a 9 inch pie dish or tarte tin.
1 store bought shortcrust pie pastry, or homemade
1 cup sugar, or 225-250g depending on sweetness level
2 large eggs, beaten
3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, sieved
190g evaporated milk, no substitutes here!
225g chocolate hazelnut spread, I love the brand Bonne Maman
56g salted butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of flakey salt
Method:
Thaw pastry according to package instructions. Mine suggest to thaw overnight in the fridge, but check yours!
Blind bake the pastry: Once your pastry is thawed, preheat oven to 175C/350F. Lay evenly into the pie dish and press up the sides to decorate it. Cut off any excess pieces. Poke a few holes on the bottom using a fork. Lay down baking paper and fill the pie with baking beans or rice, something to weigh it down. Bake for 15 mins on the middle rack. Then, remove the baking beans and bake for 5 mins on it’s own. Remove from oven and turn down the temperature to 150C/300F.
Make the nutella hot chocolate: add evaporated milk and chocolate hazelnut spread to a pan. Bring the heat to low and stir as the spread combines with the milk. Don’t let it get to a simmer or a boil, just gently heat and stir until incorporated then turn off the heat.
Melt butter: add butter to a small pan and gently stir as it melts. Once evenly melted, remove from heat and set aside.
Combine sugar, eggs and cocoa: add sugar to a large mixing bowl and pour over beaten eggs. Whisk together until incorporated using a hand whisk. You don’t want to beat in any air here, just mix it together. Sieve in cocoa powder over top and whisk in until incorporated.
Temper the eggs: once the nutella milk mixture is warm to the touch (not hot), slowly pour it into the mixing bowl with the sugar, eggs and cocoa powder, whisking as you slowly pour it in. This helps introduce heat to the eggs and slowly “cooks” them so they don’t become scrambled eggs! Go slow, and whisk generously.
Add butter, vanilla, salt: once the butter is also warm to the touch and not hot, pour the butter in and add vanilla and salt. Whisk one last time to make sure everything is evenly incorporated. It should look like a thin brownie batter!
Bake for 45 minutes: pour into the pastry lined dish and pop any bubbles that may be on the surface. Place on the middle rack and bake for 45 mins. After 45 mins, the crust should be golden brown around the edges and there should be a layer of crackle over the top. There may be a slight jiggle in the center but it will set as it cools.
Let cool for at least 2 hours: leave in the dish to set and cool for at least 2 hours, or more if you have time. Slice and serve with cream. Enjoy!
