Description
Delight in this decadent Chocolate Cherry Black Forest Pie featuring a rich chocolate sour cream crust, tart cherry filling, and luscious vanilla mascarpone whipped cream. Perfect for a special dessert, this pie combines the deep flavors of cocoa and cherries with a crisp lattice topping and creamy finish.
Ingredients
Scale
Chocolate Sour Cream Pie Crust
- 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1 cm cubes and frozen
- ⅓ cup sour cream, cold
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup cold water
Tart Cherry Pie Filling
- 1 ½ lbs tart cherries, frozen (about 6 cups)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons cherry liquor (optional)
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons coarse demerara sugar
Vanilla Mascarpone Whipped Cream
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream, cold
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup mascarpone cheese, cold
- ¼ bar dark chocolate (for shaving on top)
Instructions
- Prepare the Pie Crust: In a large bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, sea salt, and sugar. Mix thoroughly to blend all dry ingredients.
- Cut in Butter: Add the cold, cubed butter and work it into the dry mixture using your fingers or a pastry cutter until it resembles coarse peas and flour.
- Add Sour Cream and Vanilla: Stir in the cold sour cream and vanilla extract with a spoon until mixed well. Gradually add cold water one tablespoon at a time, mixing with your hands, until the dough comes together, needing about two tablespoons.
- Shape and Chill Dough: Flatten and fold the dough three times in the bowl, then cut it in half. Form each half into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight.
- Make the Cherry Filling: Preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C). In a large bowl, mix the frozen cherries, sugar, cornstarch, sea salt, cinnamon, cherry liquor (if using), and almond extract to coat the cherries evenly. Refrigerate until ready to assemble.
- Roll Out Bottom Crust: On a floured surface, roll out one dough disk to ¼ inch thickness. Transfer it into a pie plate, allowing it to settle without stretching.
- Add Filling: Pour the cherry filling into the crust, including all the sugary dry bits. Pile the filling into the center.
- Create Lattice Top: Roll out the second dough disk to ¼ inch thick. Cut into 1.5 inch wide strips. Arrange the strips over the pie in a lattice pattern, overlapping as you go.
- Trim and Crimp Edges: Trim excess crust, leaving about 1 inch around the edges. Tuck the edges under and crimp with your fingers or a fork to seal.
- Brush and Sugar Top: Brush the lattice with heavy cream and sprinkle generously with coarse demerara sugar.
- Bake the Pie: Place the pie on a larger cookie sheet and bake on the lower oven rack for 75 minutes until the filling bubbles and the crust is crisp and browned. If the edges brown too quickly, cover them with foil to prevent burning.
- Cool the Pie: Let the pie cool to warm or room temperature before slicing and serving.
- Prepare Whipped Cream: In a large bowl or mixer, whip the cold heavy cream with sugar, vanilla extract, and salt to medium-stiff peaks.
- Add Mascarpone: Add the cold mascarpone cheese to the whipped cream and whip until stiff peaks form. Use immediately or refrigerate up to 3 days.
- Serve: Spoon dollops of vanilla mascarpone whipped cream onto pie slices. Use a vegetable peeler to shave dark chocolate over the cream for garnish.
Notes
- Make ahead by preparing the pie and whipped cream separately a day in advance; store refrigerated.
- Store pie covered in the fridge for up to 5 days; freezing is not recommended unless substituting cornstarch with arrowroot starch.
- Do not overwork the butter in the crust to maintain tender texture.
- Keep cherries frozen when assembling to simplify handling and improve texture.
- Bake until filling bubbles; tent with foil if crust browns too fast.
- Serve warm to enjoy a tender, crisp crust and flavorful filling.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 420 kcal
- Sugar: 28 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
