Rustic Chocolate Pie
Good thing I made this last week. Goodbye, chocolate pie. Hello, My Fitness Pal. I’m tracking my calories, which is almost impossible not to do without obsessing. And feeling hungry every second of the day. Apparently, 1400 calories a day should be enough for me. It’s mind-blowing to have only 400 calories left to spend on dinner after having been moderate and mindful all day long. Any tips out there for a first-time calorie-counter?
I am grateful for my body and have a good relationship with it. I’ve talked several times here before about exercise, healthy eating, and how it’s possible to still be food-obsessed at the same time. But I’m realizing all over again is that this mindfulness business isn’t something I can do for a few months and then back off. It never ends!
My Fitness Pal (I love to hate that name) tells me that exercise gives me more calories to spend. That’s incentive. Big time. A two-hour walk might earn me a small piece of this pie. And I could listen to food podcasts along the way, which isn’t a half-bad proposition.
I tore this recipe out of Better Homes and Gardens at the gym last week. I’ve stopped trying to mute the deafening shredding sound. No one around me seems to mind. They’re too busy watching The Food Network. And have you noticed? Even magazines like Better Homes and Gardens often have good or interesting recipes these days. This is a case where a rising tide really does lift all boats. Our collective food consciousness has evolved even if our practice hasn’t. That’s a topic for another day. In the meantime, I’m wild about this concoction, and it will give Priya more uses for all that chocolate she’s been buying. We won’t let My Fitness Pal in on this little secret.
Rustic Chocolate Pie
Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens. I considered using one of my own crust recipes, but ended up with this one. It gave me zero problems and turned out beautifully flaky and was just the right size for the amount of filling. I used Guittard 60% chocolate–don’t use the super super dark stuff, as it doesn’t turn out as smooth. These days, I’m into the Ghiradelli 60% chips, too. Available at almost all grocery stores, affordable, and melt easily. This really does serve 10-12 people, as you only need a small slice (And don’t share any with My Fitness Pal. Though well-intentioned, she’s kind of a *&*$# ).
1/4 tsp. salt
5 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter
1-1/2 to 2 Tbsp. cold water
6 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (not to exceed 62 percent cacao), coarsely chopped
2 egg whites, at room temperature
1/8 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
3/4 cup chopped lightly toasted pecans or walnuts + more for the top
Chocolate shavings (optional)
Position rack in lower third of oven. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. If your dough has been in the fridge a long time, Let it stand 30 minutes at room temperature, or until pliable enough to roll without cracking. On lightly floured surface, roll dough to 14×9-inch oval, about 1/8 inch thick, rotating and dusting with flour to prevent sticking. Brush excess flour from dough; fold in half to transfer to a piece of parchment slightly larger than dough. Unfold dough. Loosely fold and roll edge, without pressing, to form rimmed crust. Place parchment with pastry on baking sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until light golden brown (crust edge will be a little raw inside).
Meanwhile for filling, melt chocolate in microwave on 50 percent power (medium) about 2 minutes. Stir frequently until chocolate is almost completely melted. Remove from microwave. Stir until melted; set aside.
In bowl beat egg whites with cream of tartar and vanilla until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar and 1/8 tsp. salt. Beat until whites are stiff but not dry. Pour pecans and melted chocolate over whites; fold with spatula until batter is uniform color.
Remove crust from oven. Reduce oven to 350 degrees F. Dollop filling on crust. Spread to 1/2 inch thick. Bake 10 minutes, or until surface looks dry and slightly cracked (fudgy inside). Cool on baking sheet on rack. Serve warm or cool. Cover and refrigerate after 2 hours or up to 24 hours. To serve, sprinkle toasted walnuts and chocolate shavings. Makes 10 servings.
OMG, this is so much more work than the one I made for book club. But yours also has so much more yummy chocolate in it! What is the texture like, of the filling, I mean? Fascinating…
I think the snickerdoodle muffins are about gone, so it’s time to bake up something new! My life is so hard. So hard.
It’s brownie-like, but also a bit souffle-ish due to the egg whites. Very fudgy, dark, indulgent. Not the least bit dry…
yum.
Rustic is your specialty - just gorgeous.
My friend uses My Fitness Pal and really “likes” it…I mean to say, it seems to work for her. The struggle between a healthy, fit body and gourmet eats — you’re not alone =]
I admire your courage - tracking calories AND having this in the house? I’d be forced to eat the evidence.
Oh no, the Leftoverist is counting calories! What does this mean for us? he he…j/k. Ur crackin me up about ripping recipes out of gym magazines. I did that very thing just a few days ago:)
Sarah, About counting calories: Don’t do it! Seriously, I grew up with a weight problem during the era when 900 calories a day was prescribed for weight loss. I carried my little book everywhere, obsessing. My sister actually hid the book from me for awhile, and when I found it she had written “Pam’s Bible” on it. It took me a long time to realize that that was not the way to lose and maintain weight loss. I still do think about calories, and I know that a piece of coconut cream pie will be my splurge for a week (maybe); but I try, as you do, to eat healthfully and exercise. You are young, healthy and fit: trust me, banish the calorie counter and continue with your healthy lifestyle! I wonder how many calories I have burned typing this “advice.” Perhaps I’ll have a piece of chocolate now!
do your fitness pal and your iphone have a relationship? sounds dangerous…always in your pocket! but, i tried this pie and it was delicious…the perfect treat while enjoying an afternoon cup of coffee and reading InTouch Weekly with you.
Hello there. I stumbled upon your blog looking for “The Red Brocade Pillow” to post on a weekly poetry series I edit. The blog is asitoughttobe.wordpress.com and my series is featured every Saturday. This Saturday it will be featuring this lovely poem. So glad to see others out there loving and sharing poetry!
Anyway I had to chime in on the calorie counting discussion as I am an avid diet and exercise person these days. When I upped my fitness routine quite a bit trying to build muscle (muscle burns more calories than fat, and the more muscle you pack on the faster you’ll lose weight) all of a sudden I was starving ALL THE TIME. Like, 10 minutes after I’d eat I was hungry again.
Turned out my problem was I was not eating enough fat. Fat makes your body feel full and is key to not feeling hungry all the time. Ideally the fats you’ll be eating will be healthy ones. Avocados, raw almonds and raw nuts, peanut butter, olive oil, and coconut oil are great fats to eat. I eat A LOT of avocado. I’ll eat a third or a half of an avocado 2-4 times a day with meals. Extra virgin olive oil (cold or room temperature, not heated) will also do the trick. If you are frying or stir frying, use only extra virgin coconut oil (organic if you can!) - it is the only healthy vegetable oil that does not change its chemical make-up at high temperatures and therefore remains good for you even when used for frying.
Personally I chose not to count calories. Instead I just try to get protein and healthy carbs in within an hour of waking up, try to get healthy fat in with every meal, and try at night to tend more toward protein and less toward carbs. I’m a vegetarian, so for protein I eat a lot of eggs, peanut butter, nuts, beans, and sometimes goat cheese for my protein. My dinner quite often consists of an omelet topped with avocado or some sort of other egg dish.
I’ve been consistently losing a pound a week since I have been dedicated to building muscle, eating as described above, and eating healthy fat with each meal. I hope this helps, I hate to see a gifted cook go hungry, and fat may be the answer!
1400? That sounds really low to me. I thought women should eat around 2000. I am not a calorie counter but am an almost life-long calorie noticer - meaning I try to be aware without totally giving in to the obsession. I don’t really like breakfast and so that is where I cut back. I try to eat no more than 200 for breakfast which means small bowls of cereal with non-fat milk or (gasp!) Luna bars. Because it takes my stomach a long time to wake up, I can get away with that and then drink coffee to tide me over until lunch. Super healthy, I know.
Wow ! I’m not looking at calories just looking at all the chocolate. Yummy!
I’m so glad you tried the pie recipe! I saw that same recipe in BHG and thought it looked to die for! Now that I see that it tastes as good as it looks, I’m going to make it for my husbands birthday pie on Friday. He’ll love it!
Dude, this calorie thing has been killing me.
So I started researching (see why Naomi Momosis and I are friends?). There are a quite a few calorie calculators out there, and you should REALLY look into that.
Another way to look at it - the experts start screaming “DANGER!” at 1,200.
I plugged in a few ideas of what I thought you might weigh and how tall you are. I also said that you were quite physically active. They all said that you should be between 1900 - 2100 calories.
Get to eating more chocolate!
Are you sure that’s not called My Fitness POS?
For a long time, I was a calorie-counter. My advice: eat a whole lot of fruit, veggies and nuts and you’ll feel more full. Good luck!
Hi Sarah,
It didn’t take me long to become a daily-checker of your blog. It’s simplicity and appeal are so refreshing, and I feel a sense of relief when I arrive here.
I’m a nutritionist and personal chef in Los Angeles, so this issue of enjoying food + looking & feeling your best + staying mentally healthy is something I’m faced with too. There is no one solution, as different “tricks” work for different people. I’ve personally found success (that I can maintain about 80% of the time, which is good enough for me) with these tactics:
1–Avoid counting calories, carbs, fat, protein, etc. Counting anything will lead to fixation.
2–Do become aware of what you’re putting in your mouth. As chefs we tend to pop little morsels in our mouth as we go, and these add up quick. Better to save room for (and bolster enjoyment of) the final product.
3–Experiment with veggie & fruit-heavy recipes most of the time, and save the richer and more indulgent recipes for weekends, special occasions, or when you’re having company who can help you eat what you make.
4–Eat when you’re relaxed, when you can eat slowly, when you can pay attention to how much you’re enjoying every bite. If life is too hectic to allow you moments like this, try scheduling it into your calendar like you would any other task.
5–Find a form of exercise you really like, so you’ll enjoy it and stick with it over time.
(One nutritional note: Daily calorie need depends on sex, age, and physical activity level. Your hunger is a good guide for how many calories you should eat, but it likely falls between 1500-2000. Less than that, you’ll probably lose weight. More than that, you’ll probably gain weight slowly, unless you’re an avid athlete).
My website, http://www.eating-made-easy.com, which is launching March 13, will address challenges like these on a regular basis, if you’re hungry for more.
Thinking about this more.
You’re one of the most well-balanced eaters I know. And you exercise regularly. And you chase after munchkins and walk everywhere. And your body is fantastic.
Ok, I’ll stop thinking about this now. No really.
Right ….. now.
I came across your blog the other day. It is beautiful, the food is gorgeous. I can’t wait to see what’s next! I tried the Rustic Chocolate Pie. I just did a 1/2 recipe so my hubby and I wouldn’t indulge too much. It was oh, so amazing. Thanks!
I was just thinking, if you’d like a simpler approach, I’d be willing to loan you my children for a whole week. You’ll drop 5 pounds and lots of hair by the end of the week, I promise. I love those boys but lord knows they wear me out! Oh, and they’ll eat all the chocolate in the house if you’ll let them. They break out into spontaneous chocolate dances and chants.
Long time reader, first time commenter!
I’m also in the calorie-counting zone, and have found a really helpful online tool - go to http://www.sparkrecipes.com, and click on the ‘recipe calculator’ tab. The reason I love this is because I love to cook, and hated the idea of saying goodbye to my favourite recipes, and/or not trying new ones because I didn’t know what their exact nutritional breakdown was. Using this recipe calculator has been awesome, because all I do is enter the ingredients and number of servings, and it breaks it down for me per serving. Makes it so much easier to plan my days, and STILL try new recipes!!
You can’t be eating this and thinking about calories, unless you are thinking about how you can burn up 2/3rds of your total intake for the day cause you ate just one piece of this. but…….I have to say it was worth the calories. I made it to take for dessert at some friends house, and the plate came home empty. Try it when your not in a calorie conscience mood. Super easy,and yummy yummy!
Wow-this is fantastic! I love your blog-some great ideas are gonna come from you I can tell! Also-yum! And aside from all that-there are food podcasts? Why didn’t anyone tell me!? What are your favorites?
nice. Thanks