Potato Chips in a Pie? Oh yeah!

Lay's Wavy Potato Chips and Ghirardelli chocolate in the same recipe? You know that combination is going to be a winner...and that's just what the Sweet and Salty Chocolate Pie was.

Baked to perfection by Christopher A. Taylor, the melt-in-your mouth combination of potato chips and bittersweet chocolate took first prize recently in the Lumpkin County Pie Squared Event sponsored by Lumpkin Literacy.

I'd show you a picture of that yummy pie, but by the time I got to taste a sample, the pie plate was empty. But I did get the recipe!

Sweet and Salty Chocolate Pie

by Christopher A. Taylor (Atlanta, GA)

Crust and Topping

6 oz Ghirardelli Bittersweet (60%) Chocolate

10 oz potato chips (I prefer Wavy Lays, but Ruffles work, too)

Filling

4 oz Ghirardelli Bittersweet (60%) Chocolate

4 oz Ghirardelli Extra Bittersweet (70%) Chocolate

3 eggs

5-1/4 oz (3/4 cup) sugar

2 tbsp water

1 cup heavy cream (I prefer 40% pasteurized, not ultra-pasteurized)

Garnish

1 tbsp large flake sea salt (I prefer Maldon sea salt flakes)

1 cup chocolate curls

Directions

From the potato chips, select and set aside about 12–15 whole chips to use as the garnish.  

Crush half of the the remaining chips.  The baker prefers to place the chips in a sealed Ziploc-type bag and lightly beat the bag with a rolling pin. You don’t want the chips to turn to dust. Stop bashing the chips when they are about 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch in size. Empty the chip pieces into a bowl.

Melt the 6 ounces of bittersweet chocolate in the microwave (stirring every 20 seconds) until it is completely melted.

Add the melted chocolate to the chip pieces a spoonful at a time and stir the chips and chocolate after each addition. Stop adding chocolate when the chips are thoroughly coated and the mixture begins to hold together when lightly smooshed into the side of the bowl.

Pat the chocolate-chip mixture evenly into a 10-inch pie plate. Make sure the mixture is even across the bottom and up the sides. The mixture will be thickest where the bottom of the pan meets the sides. Press into this area with your thumb to thin out and push the mixture up the sides. The edges of the crust may seem ragged, but we’ll cover them up with the chips later.

Place the crust into the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to set before you begin preparing the filling. Dip the remaining whole potato chips into the remaining melted chocolate, gently shaking off any extra chocolate. Place the dipped chips on a sheet of wax paper to set at room temperature.

For the filling, chop both chocolates and melt in the microwave, stirring every 20 seconds until melted.  Set aside.

For the filling, heat a 1/2-inch of water in a sauce pan until simmering. Combine the eggs, sugar, and water in a small bowl.  Place the bowl over the simmering water ensuring that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Using a hand mixer on medium speed, beat the egg mixture over the simmering water until the mixture is thick and fluffy and temperature reaches 160˚F, 5–10 minutes.

When the mixture reaches temperature, remove the bowl from the heated water and continue to beat the egg mixture until it reaches warm temperature, about 5–10 minutes more.

Once the mixture is cool, add the melted chocolate and stir until combine. Whip the heavy cream until it reaches stiff peaks. Fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture using a rubber spatula or whisk (I prefer a whisk) until no streaks remain.

Add the filling to the crust and smooth. Immediately place the chocolate-dipped potato chips into the filling along the crust of the pie allowing the chip to curve over the edge of the pan.

Allow the pie to set in the fridge for several hours. Sprinkle the salt and chocolate curls evenly over the top of the pie before serving. (Adding the salt earlier risks it dissolving into the filling.)

Slice a piece and enjoy that yummy combination of sweet and salt!

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