Dietrich’s Wicked Cheesecake Pie

Tips: What’s better than a chocolate pie crust with a cheesecake filling? A chocolate piecrust with a cheesecake filling and a chocolate-sour cream topping, of course! This is exceptionally rich and should be served in small slices after a light meal. I include two topping recipes; use the one you think looks best. The topping recipe that includes milk chocolate was the original here, but I think it's too thick and overwhelms the cheesecake layer (not everyone agrees with that, however). Use good quality chocolate for the topping, and remember if it’s not smooth in the bar it won’t be smooth in the topping, either.

This will keep for a day or three in the refrigerator, if tightly covered. Rather to my surprise, this freezes, but I wouldn’t freeze it long-term. You’ll need a 9 inch pie plate (mine is made of ovenproof glass, and I love it). Nice with a cup of hot coffee. This pie has much more flavor if served with the chill off (see serving instructions). My larger-than-life friend Dietrich, who’s very fond of it, provided inspiration for the name.

Yield: 10 servings

Ingredients:

Crust
• 1-1/2 cups chocolate wafer crumbs (I use Nabisco brand Famous Chocolate Wafers; you’ll need most of a 9 ounce box to make this quantity of crumbs)
• 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
• 5 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
  
  
Cheesecake Filling
• 12 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 2 eggs, graded “large”
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
  
  
Topping I
• 5 ounces good-quality milk chocolate, finely chopped
• 4 ounces good-quality semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• Few grains of salt
• 2/3 cup dairy sour cream, at room temperature
  
  
Topping II
• 4 ounces dark sweet chocolate, finely chopped (I use Baker’s German’s Sweet Chocolate)
• 3 ounces good-quality semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• Few grains of salt
• 2/3 cup dairy sour cream, at room temperature

Method:

For Crust:
Adjust rack to center of oven; preheat oven to 350 degrees F (if your 9 inch pie plate is ovenproof glass or has a dark finish, heat the oven to 325 degrees F). In medium bowl, mix chocolate wafer crumbs and sugar thoroughly. Add melted butter; mix very well to blend.

Use about two-thirds of the crust mixture to form the sides of the pie shell, forming a high rim that stands above the edge of the pie plate. Press the remaining crust mixture onto the bottom of the pie plate, using the back of a spoon or your hand. Bake crust in preheated oven for 6 to 7 minutes, or just until set. Remove to cooling rack; cool to room temperature before filling.

For Cheesecake Filling:
Adjust rack to center of oven; preheat oven to same temperature you used to bake the crust. Combine softened cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in medium bowl. With handheld electric mixer, beat at medium speed only until perfectly smooth (you can also use an electric stand mixer and small mixer bowl here). Scrape bowl and beater(s) several times during this process to ensure thorough blending and smoothness. When cream cheese mixture is perfectly smooth, add eggs, one at a time, blending in each at a low speed until mixture is smooth. Add heavy cream. At lowest speed, blend in heavy cream just until combined.

Pour cheesecake batter into cooled crust. Place in preheated oven. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Filling will not color much, but edges will rise and appear set. Center of pie will still seem uncooked. Do not overbake. Cool pie on cooling rack for about 30 minutes, then chill in refrigerator for at least three hours before topping.

For Topping:
In medium microwaveable bowl, combine both chocolates and salt. Microwave at 50% (medium) power for one minute; stir thoroughly. Microwave at 50% (medium) power for further short intervals, stirring thoroughly after each, just until melted and smooth. (Alternatively, melt chocolates by placing them and salt in medium heatproof bowl and placing over hot water on low heat (water should not touch bottom of bowl). Stir often just until melted and smooth, then remove from heat and hot water.)

If sour cream is cold, it may cause the melted chocolate to lump. If sour cream has not sat out until it is at room temperature, microwave it at 50% (medium) power for a very few seconds (in my 700 watt microwave, it requires 10 to 15 seconds), just until it is slightly thinned and has lost any chill. All at once, add sour cream to melted chocolate mixture. Stir or whisk briskly until smooth, scraping bowl frequently. If topping is thin, chocolate and sour cream were both warm; allow mixture to stand briefly at room temperature, stirring or whisking often, until somewhat thickened. If topping lumps, you can either microwave it at 50% (medium) power for very brief intervals, stirring/whisking well after each, until it is smooth, or place bowl of topping over hot water on low heat and stir/whisk very frequently just until it is smooth.

Place topping, which should be smooth and somewhat thick, on top of cheesecake filling; spread topping quickly (the cold pie will set the topping rapidly) in an even layer so that it covers the cheesecake filling entirely, touching the crust all around. Replace pie in refrigerator for at least one hour before serving.

Store pie, tightly covered, in refrigerator. To serve, cut small slices with a small, very sharp knife. Place slices on serving plates. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow to stand about 20 minutes at room temperature before serving for fullest flavor.

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