Dark Chocolate Silk Pie

This decadent, ultra-silky and cocoa-laden pie is best enjoyed with a glass of Zinfandel at the end of long day – and we’re not going to judge if you put the kids to bed first.

Ingredients

For the chocolate crust:

• 1 1/2 cup finely ground almond flour
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup powdered Swerve or xylitol*
• 1/2 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder (such as Argo or Clabber Girl)
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

For the dark chocolate filling:

• 16oz full-fat cream cheese, softened
• 4 tablespoons sour cream
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup powdered Swerve or xylitol*
• 4 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons instant coffee granules
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (to taste)
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 teaspoons powdered Swerve or xylitol (for whipping cream)*
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (for whipped cream)

Directions

For the chocolate crust:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9″ pie pan with butter and set aside.
2. Toast almond flour in a skillet over medium heat (no oil), until almond flour is golden and has a strong toasted aroma. This will take around 3 minutes.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine toasted almond flour, cocoa powder, powered Swerve, baking powder, instant coffee granules and salt, and mix together thoroughly.
4. Add melted butter to dry ingredients. Using a fork, cut the butter into dry ingredients until crumbs forms. Add egg and vanilla extract and continue mixing until the dough forms into a ball.
5. Using your fingers, press the dough into the greased pie pan, so that the dough evenly covers the bottom and sides of the pie pan. Liberally poke holes in the bottom and sides of crust with a fork to prevent bubbles in the oven.
6. Bake crust in the oven for 5-8 minutes. The crust should not be completely hard at this point – the goal is to have a slightly chewy-looking crust. Remove from oven, allow to cool, and chill in fridge for at least an hour before adding dark chocolate filling.

For the dark chocolate filling:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine softened cream cheese, sour cream, cocoa powder, softened butter, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, instant coffee granules, and salt. Mix ingredients with a hand-mixer on high till cream cheese mixture is light and fluffy.
2. In a separate mixing bowl, combine heavy whipping cream, 2 teaspoons powdered Swerve and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Using a hand-mixture with clean beaters, whip the cream on high speed until cream thickens and stiff peaks form.
3. Take the finished whipped cream and very gently fold into the cream cheese mixture, adding only a fourth at a time so that the whipped cream keeps its fluff.
4. Gently pour dark chocolate filling into the cooled crust and smooth. Refrigerate pie for 3-4 hours before serving – or pop in the freezer for an hour.
5. To serve, cut into 6 slices and garnish with extra whipped cream or fresh raspberries.

*Note that xylitol is extremely poisonous for dogs. If using xylitol, make sure that your pet cannot access your baking tools, countertops, or the finished cobbler.