8" French Silk Dark Chocolate Pie With Nutella Hazelnut Cream Recipe

Make dough

Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, granulated sugar, and salt in a medium bowl until evenly combined.

Cut the cold butter and shortening into the dry ingredients using a pastry cutter or two knives (or pulse in a food processor) until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces.

Sprinkle ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, over the mixture and gently toss with a fork until the dough just comes together when pressed. Use about 2–3 tablespoons; do not overwork.

Gather dough into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (up to 2 hours).

On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough to a 10-inch circle (to comfortably fit an 8-inch pie plate with edges). Transfer to an 8-inch pie pan, ease the dough into the pan without stretching, trim the overhang to 1/2 inch, and crimp the edges as desired. Chill the crust in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line the crust with parchment and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake blind for 15 minutes, remove weights and parchment, then bake 8–10 minutes more until set. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

Melt the chopped dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a barely simmering pot of water (double boiler) or in short bursts in the microwave, stirring until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly (warm, not hot).

In a large mixing bowl, beat the room-temperature butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes.

Gradually add the granulated sugar to the butter and continue beating until light and well combined, about 2 minutes.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. After all eggs are incorporated, increase speed and whip the mixture until it becomes very light, voluminous and glossy — this can take 4–6 minutes. The mixture should look aerated; this step is critical to the classic French silk texture and stability.

Slowly pour the slightly cooled melted chocolate into the butter-egg-sugar mixture while mixing on low speed until fully combined. Add vanilla extract and salt; mix until smooth. Scrape down the bowl as needed.

Taste a small amount to check sweetness and texture. The filling should be silky and spreadable. Spoon or pipe the chocolate filling into the cooled crust, smoothing the top with an offset spatula. Chill the pie in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to set (longer if you prefer firmer texture).

If using gelatin for stability: sprinkle the 1/2 teaspoon gelatin over 1 tablespoon cold water in a small bowl and let bloom 5 minutes. Warm the bloomed gelatin gently (10–15 seconds in microwave) until melted, do not boil, and whisk into the Nutella to loosen it.

Place the cold heavy cream and powdered sugar in a chilled mixing bowl. Whip on medium-high speed until soft peaks form.

Reduce speed to low and add the Nutella (and melted gelatin if used) in a thin stream, then increase to medium-high and whip just until medium peaks form and the cream is stable but still spreadable—do not overwhip or it will become grainy.

Transfer the Nutella hazelnut cream to a piping bag fitted with your preferred tip or use a spoon. Pipe or dollop the cream onto the chilled chocolate silk surface in an even layer or decorative rosettes. Return to refrigerator to chill 30 minutes to set the topping.

Just before serving, garnish the pie with toasted chopped hazelnuts and dark chocolate shavings. Dust the edges lightly with cocoa powder if desired.

For clean slices, run a sharp knife under hot water, dry it, then slice the pie, wiping the knife between cuts. Serve chilled or at cool room temperature.