Fudge Pie

Cooking Instructions

In workbowl of food processor fitted with steel blade, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Process briefly to combine thoroughly. Add butter pats; process in on-and-off "pulses" until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Turn into medium bowl. (If no food processor is available, combine flour, sugar, and salt in medium bowl; mix well. With two knives or pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.) Gradually add 3 Tbsp. water, stirring with fork. Add only enough remaining water to allow dough to be gathered into a ball. Handle as briefly and gently as possible. Form into flat round and wrap tightly in wax paper or plastic wrap. Chill at least 1 hour.

On lightly floured pastry board with lightly floured rolling pin, roll out chilled dough into a circle about 13" in diameter. While rolling dough, keep board and rolling pin lightly floured as necessary, and turn dough frequently to prevent sticking. Ease dough into 9" heatproof glass pie plate, being careful not to stretch it. Form a high standing rim above edge of pie plate, trimming any excess dough. Prick crust all over with fork. Chill pie shell 15 minutes while preheating oven to 375 degrees F.

Bake crust in preheated oven about 12 minutes. Check frequently to make sure no part of pie shell is puffing up; if it is, gently press puffy area with pot holder and pierce crust with fork once or twice to expel air. Crust will color very little. Cool completely before filling.

For Filling:

Adjust rack to center of oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Have ready a length of heavy-duty aluminum foil about 16" long; fold it in half crosswise, then re-open so that the length of foil has a crease at about the 8" mark. Set aside.

In large heatproof bowl, combine chopped chocolate and butter. Place over simmering water on low heat (water should not touch bottom of bowl) and stir until almost melted. Remove from heat and hot water and stir until smooth. Whisk in cocoa powder until well-blended and smooth. Add sugar, liqueur, vanilla, and salt. Stir well (mixture will be the texture of wet sand). With whisk, beat in eggs until smooth.

For Assembly:

Turn into cooled crust. Set filled pie carefully on rack of preheated oven; cover with foil as though foil were a tent. Bake 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake about 12 minutes longer, or just until the outer inch or so of the filling appears set. Do not overbake.

Cool at room temperature briefly, then chill at least 4 hours before serving