Blum’s Coffee Toffee Pie
Posted by: Elaine Sun, 18 Apr 2004, at 5:04 a.m.
 

“Some years ago in San Francisco, a confectionary shop called Blum’s was a favorite haven for sweets lovers. The sandwiches were good, but the desserts were what people came for: rich ice creams, delicious candies, never-to-be-forgotten crunch cakes, freshly brewed coffee, and this pie. You’ll need an electric mixer
to make it.”

Nutty Chocolate Dough for a 9-inch pie shell (recipe follows)

Filling
8 tablespoons (1 stick or 1/2 cup) butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons powdered instant coffee
1 ounce (1 square) unsweetened chocolate, melted
2 eggs *

Topping
1 1/2 cups heavy cream, chilled
6 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons powdered instant coffee
1 tablespoon grated unsweetened chocolate

Preheat the oven to 425° F.
Line a 9-inch pie pan with the rolled-out dough, prick all over with a fork, then press a piece of heavy-duty foil snugly into the pie shell. Bake for 6 minutes, remove the foil, and bake for about 10 minutes more, until dry and crisp.

To make the filling: Put the butter into a large mixing bowl of an electric mixer and beat with the mixer until it is light and fluffy. Gradually add the sugar, beating on high speed. Beat in the powdered instant coffee and the melted chocolate. Add 1 egg to the butter mixture and beat on high speed for 5 minutes. Add the second egg and beat for 5 minutes more. Spread the filling evenly in the cooled pie shell, then cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours.
After the pie has chilled for at least six hours, prepare the topping. Combine the cream, confectioners’ sugar, and instant coffee in a large mixing bowl of an electric mixer. Beat until the mixture is stiff. Spread the topping in swirls over the chilled pie and sprinkle with the grated chocolate. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Nutty Chocolate Dough
(one 9-inch pie shell)

“A cookie like dough not intended to be flaky – so don’t worry about over mixing
the dough.”

1 cup flour
8 tablespoons (1 stick or 1/2 cup) butter, softened
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 ounce (1 square) unsweetened chocolate, grated
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk, plus droplets more if needed
3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Combine the flour, butter, brown sugar, and chocolate in a bowl and mix until they are well blended, using your fingers, two knives, a pastry blender, or the food processor. Add vanilla, milk, and walnuts and mix well (you may use an electric beater or food processor if you wish). The dough should be damp enough to form a cohesive mass, but not sticky – if it is too dry, add more milk, a few drops at a time, until the dough is at its proper consistency. This cookie like dough can be rolled out (between two sheets of waxed paper), but I find it easier to press it into the pie plate by hand: take walnut-size pieces of the dough and begin pressing them onto the bottom and sides of the pan, making sure that you distribute the dough evenly and cover the entire pan, leaving no gaps or thin spots. Proceed as stated in recipe above.

The Fannie Farmer Baking Book by Marion Cunningham