Thermador Chocolate Hand Pie

According to all the magazines I read (and I read plenty), the new food trending now is pie. This is good news as the whole cupcake scene was starting to get a little passé.

Just imagine all the “pie”sibillities…fruit pies, pudding pies, savory pies…the list goes on. In some countries, hand pies are also known as empanadas with delicious goodness inside. I have always had a fondness for pie — especially during the fall season. Just thinking about slices of warm pie makes me happy.

In an effort to create a transport friendly pie (and in anticipation of the tailgating that will surely happen just around the corner) I decided to create hand pies! My creation wasn’t just any ol’ hand pie; I made chocolaty pudding hand pies. This recipe is a fun one to try for an upcoming picnic or a lunch box treat. It can be prepared precisely using a Thermador induction cooktop.

Filling
—2 cups half-and-half
—8 ounces chopped semisweet chocolate (best you can find)
—1/2 cup sugar (I like the super fine kind)
—1/4 cup cornstarch
—2 tablespoons butter
—½ teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium saucepan, combine half-and-half, chocolate, sugar and cornstarch. Cook on medium heat, constantly whisking, until bubbly. Keep mixing for one more minute until thickened. Remove immediately from the heat and incorporate the butter and vanilla. Let cool. Cover with plastic wrap, placing it onto the surface of the pudding (to avoid air pockets that fill with moisture). Refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours or overnight. This is a perfect make-a-day-ahead type of recipe.

Pie Crust
—2 cups flour
—1 teaspoon baking powder
—3/4 teaspoon salt
—6 tablespoons shortening, at room temperature
—1 large egg
—1 large egg white, beaten (for sealing pies)
—5 tablespoons ice water

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Mix in the shortening until crumbly. In another bowl beat the whole egg and ice water. Incorporate the egg mixture into the flour mixture. With a pastry fork mix the dough until you can form a big ball of dough. Divide into 6 balls.

On a surface covered in flour, roll each ball of dough into a 6-inch circle. Brush a small border of the beaten egg white around each rim. Spoon approximately a 1/3 cup of the cold pudding in the center of each circle of dough. Fold the dough over the filling. Using a fork seal the edges. Transfer to a baking sheet covered in parchment paper and pop in the oven for 25 minutes at 375°. Let cool and then dust with confectioner’s sugar.