Chocolate Cream Cornet Pie Recipe

Make dough

Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add cold cubed butter and shortening. Using a pastry cutter or fingertips, cut butter into dry ingredients until mixture resembles coarse meal with pea-sized pieces of butter remaining.

Sprinkle ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, over the mixture and gently toss with a fork until dough just comes together when pressed (use 2–3 tablespoons as needed). Avoid overworking.

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface, gather into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (up to 2 hours).

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). On a lightly floured surface, roll chilled dough into a 12-inch circle about 1/8-inch thick. Transfer to a 9-inch removable-bottom tart pan or pie plate. Trim and crimp edges; prick bottom lightly with a fork.

Line crust with parchment and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Blind-bake for 15 minutes, remove weights and parchment, then bake 5–8 minutes more until set and slightly firm. Let cool on a rack. Reduce oven to 350°F (175°C) if finishing in oven later.

Heat dairy

In a medium saucepan, combine whole milk, heavy cream, and half of the granulated sugar (1/4 cup). Warm over medium heat until it begins to steam and small bubbles form around the edge; do not boil.

Mix dry thickener

In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining sugar (1/4 cup), cornstarch, and cocoa powder until uniform.

Whisk the egg yolks in another bowl until smooth. Gradually whisk about 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks to temper them, then whisk the yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk mixture.

Cook custard

Return the saucepan to medium-low heat and whisk constantly until the mixture thickens and comes to a gentle boil, about 3–5 minutes. Continue to cook for 1 minute of gentle boiling to activate the cornstarch, whisking constantly to prevent scorching.

Remove from heat and immediately whisk in the chopped bittersweet chocolate until melted and smooth. Add the butter, vanilla, and salt; whisk until fully combined and glossy.

Pour the hot chocolate cream through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any lumps. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Let cool at room temperature for 20–25 minutes, then refrigerate until just chilled, about 1–2 hours (it should be thick but pipeable).

When the custard is chilled and thick, whisk briefly to loosen, then spoon or pipe into the cooled par-baked crust, smoothing the top with a spatula. Chill the assembled pie in the refrigerator at least 2 hours to set.

Make whipped cream

In a chilled mixing bowl, combine heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Whip with a handheld or stand mixer on medium-high speed until soft to medium peaks form. Do not overbeat.

Transfer whipped cream to a piping bag fitted with a star tip (optional). Pipe or dollop whipped cream decoratively around the edge of the chilled pie, leaving the center visible or fill center for a domed look.

Decorate cornet-style

Break or trim mini waffle cones into quarters or keep whole small cones for a cornet look. Press cone pieces upright into the whipped cream border to mimic cornet shapes (3–6 cones around the pie). Sprinkle chopped toasted nuts over the whipped cream and custard edge if using. Dust lightly with cocoa powder or scatter chocolate shavings over the top.

Return the pie to the refrigerator for 30 minutes to let decorations set. Serve chilled.