What never goes out of style? Desserts. Chef Chris Kimball, author of “Cook’s Country Best Lost Suppers,” brings back some old, sweet favorites to celebrate our culinary past. Learn how to make some of America’s best treats, which require little baking and are representative of a long line of easy refrigerator pies.
Recipe: French silk chocolate pie (on this page) Recipe: Vanilla wafer cake (on this page)
For crust:
Process the flour, sugar, and salt together in a food processor until combined. Scatter the shortening over the top and process until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, about 10 pulses. Scatter the butter pieces over the top and pulse the mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs, about 10 pulses. Transfer the mixture to a bowl.
Sprinkle 4 tablespoons of the ice water over the mixture. Stir and press the dough together, using a stiff rubber spatula, until the dough sticks together. If the dough does not come together, stir in the remaining water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it does.
Turn the dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and flatten into a 4-inch disk. Wrap the dough tightly in the plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 2 days. Before rolling out the dough, let it sit on the counter to soften slightly, about 10 minutes.
Roll the dough on a lightly floured counter to a 12-inch circle, about 1/8 inch thick. Fit the dough into a 9-inch pie plate, letting the excess dough hang over the edge. Following the photos, trim, fold, and crimp the edges. Freeze the unbaked pie crust until firm, about 30 minutes, before filling or baking.
For pie:
Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees.
Remove the prepared pie shell from the freezer. Line the chilled pie crust with a double layer of foil, covering the edges to prevent burning, and fill with pie weights or pennies. Bake until the pie dough looks dry and is light in color, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the weights and foil and continue to bake until the crust is deep golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
In a medium bowl, whip the cream with an electric mixer on medium-low speed until frothy, about 1 minute. Increase the speed to high and continue to whip until the cream forms stiff peaks, 1 to 3 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
Combine the eggs, sugar, and water in a large heatproof bowl set over a medium saucepan filled with 1/2 inch barely simmering water (don't let the bowl touch the water). Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until the egg mixture is thickened and registers 160 degrees, 7 to 10 minutes. Off the heat, continue to beat the egg mixture until fluffy and cooled to room temperature, about 8 minutes longer.
Add the cooled chocolate and vanilla to the egg mixture and beat until incorporated. Beat in the butter, a few pieces at a time, until well combined. Using a spatula, fold in the whipped cream until no streaks of white remain. Scrape the filling into the cooled pie shell and refrigerate until set, at least 3 hours, and up to 24 hours. Serve.
Serves 8
Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 300 degrees. Grease a 9-inch springform pan and set aside.
Process half of the cookies in a food processor to fine crumbs, about 1 minute. Transfer the crumbs to a bowl. Repeat with the remaining cookies. Stir in the salt and set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the sugar and butter together with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 6 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated, scraping down the bowl and beaters as needed. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add one-third of the cookie crumbs followed by 1/4 cup of the milk. Repeat with half of the remaining cookie crumbs and the remaining 1/4 cup milk, and finish with the remaining cookie crumbs. Fold in the coconut and pecans.
Give the batter a final stir with a rubber spatula to make sure it is thoroughly combined. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and gently tap the pan on the counter to settle the batter. Bake until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through.
Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes. Run a small knife around the edge of the cake, then remove the sides of the pan. Cool the cake on a wire rack to room temperature, 2 to 3 hours, before serving.
Serves 12
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