This pastry crust is a great base for lots of different pies and tarts – chocolate pecan, strawberry, peanut butter, ice cream, etc. It’s also forgiving since it’s not rolled out but is pressed into a pie plate or tart pan. Use a really good unsweetened cocoa like Guittard or Ghiradelli for a better flavor.
Chocolate Pastry Crust
Servings
1
crustPrep time
15
minutesCooking time
12
minutesIngredients
1 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, chilled
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
- Combine the flour, cocoa, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. *
- Cut the chilled butter into pieces and add to the flour/cocoa mixture. Pulse 5-6 times, just until the mixture resembles a coarse meal.
- Add the milk and vanilla and pulse just until the dough comes together. Add a drop or two of extra milk if the dough is too dry.
- Press dough with your fingers into the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie plate or tart pan, trying to get the crust as even as possible. For pie shell, crimp the edges. For tart pan, press around the edge to remove excess dough.
- Prick the base of the shell all over with a fork, then line with aluminum foil. Freeze for at least 15 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 425° F. When ready to bake, pour pie weights into the pastry shell to prevent slumping dough and bubbles forming while baking.
- For partially baked shells, bake for 12 minutes, then remove foil and weights. Shell should look dry but not browned. Bake without foil and weights if additional time is needed. If bubbles form in the pastry, prick them gently with a fork.
For fully baked shells, bake for 12 minutes, remove foil and pie weights, and continue baking for another 4-8 minutes. The shell should be slightly browned, crisp, and dry. - Allow the cooked pastry shell to cool completely on a wire rack.
Notes
- *If you don’t have a food processor, simply use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients quickly and don’t overhandle.
- To add nuts to this pastry crust, substitute 1/2 cup ground walnuts or pecans for 1/2 cup flour.
So tasty! I undercooked mine a little because my oven runs cool and I couldn’t tell if it was done or not. I kind of liked it that way though.
It’s a bit hard to know when this one is done because it starts out brown. If it’s made for a pie that will be baked longer, it’s not such a big deal but if you’re using it for a non-cooked filling, like ice cream, it needs to be perfectly done. You may have to experiment with it a bit in your oven to get it just right.