Day 13: Chocolate Fudge Mini-pies

Since I've been using my grandmother's oven lately, it seemed appropriate to make one of her own recipes in her kitchen.

Ironically, you don't even actually need an oven for this recipe.

So yes, there is technically no baking in this recipe, even though this is Baking Through August. I'd apologize if I didn't know this was an amazing recipe, plus the first time for it to be publicly given, at is a family secret.

You can thank me later.

The Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cup sugar
• ¼ cup flour
• ¼ cup cocoa
• 12 oz can evaporated milk
• 3 egg yolks
• ½ stick butter
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 1-2 tsp instant coffee
• mini phyllo shells (60 total)

I know I'm using pre-made pie shells. I had intended on shunning all pre-made/boxed items for this series, but I've heard that phyllo is a pain to make. Plus, I know you're actually secretly relieved to see a pre-made item used in one of my recipes.

The Process

If needed, separate eggs now.

Mix sugar, flour, and cocoa in a large, heavy saucepan.

Stir in evaporated milk, then cook until thick. You can begin using medium-high heat. Stir semi-constantly (at least scrape the
bottom of the pan once every 30 seconds). When you begin to feel resistance as you scrape along the bottom (a sign of thickening, not burning - don't panic), quite a few minutes in, drop the heat to medium. As the mixture becomes quite thick, drop the heat to low.

Remove from heat when the sauce is thick enough that it takes a few seconds before beginning to drip off the spoon, and the dropped sauce stands up and out from the rest. This entire process should take about 10-15 minutes.

Just keep stirring! Just keep stirring! Just keep stir-ring, stir-ring, stir-ring!

Beat the egg yolks. Beat a teaspoon of the sauce into the yolks; repeat. Quickly mix the yolks into the entire
mixture of sauce.

Mix butter, vanilla, and instant coffee completely into the sauce. This will make the sauce less thick again.

Pour a heaping teaspoon of sauce into each phyllo shell. Cover and let sit to thicken. To thicken even more, place in refrigerator.

The Final Product

Some Notes

This was enough sauce for 60 mini-shells, or 4 packages of 15-count shells. The entire process took 50 minutes, most of which was spent either stirring the sauce or filling the shells.

This is an extremely rich and extremely sweet recipe!

When you cover the pies, make sure whatever you use doesn't touch the filling and leave an ugly imprint.

This could also make a regular 9" pie - however, I don't recommend it. This filling is a little too overwhelming for an entire pie. Plus the phyllo shell adds a nice crunch that is really necessary. If you do actually make a full-fledged pie, use a graham cracker crust.

If I Could Do It Again....

I'd add a small something-something on top - either half a raspberry, or a small piece of strawberry. This would make it look better and enhance the flavor. Some other garnish ideas: meringue (if you separated eggs at the beginning!), coconut flakes, pineapple, kiwi.

I think I'd attempt to make a dark-chocolate version of this pie, by cutting down on the sugar a lot, and adding more flour to help thicken it still.

I'd also try replacing some of the butter with hard liquor. Mmmmm.

The Final Verdict

Well duh this is good. It's been a hit in my family for decades.

The small shells make it great finger food for big gatherings, especially where people will be standing and talking. It's also good for Thanksgiving and dinner parties.

This recipe will always remind me of my grandmother and family gatherings. So I might be a little biased. But it's a good recipe. Not necessarily something to be made often, as it is definitely too rich for regular consumption, but a great treat.