Stone Fruit Chocolate Cream Pie

Delicious stone fruits are glazed with a tart apricot sauce and decorate a divine chocolate cream pie with a tender chocolate pastry.

Chocolate Tart Pastry:

Delicious and amazing chocolate tart pastry is easy to make and roll out; inspired by Hot Polka Dot 

1 cup flour

½ cup powdered sugar

¼ cup cocoa powder

¼ tsp salt

¼ cup hazelnuts, toasted and skins removed

½ cup butter, cold and sliced into Tablespoons

1 egg

Layer in a food processor the flour, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, salt and hazelnuts. Pulse until the hazelnuts are fine. Add the cold tablespoons of butter and pulse about 10 times. Add egg and pulse just until the dough comes together and looks smooth. Form into a round disc, cover in plastic wrap and chill until firm. Roll out on parchment paper with a little scatter of flour to make rolling easier and roll so it is just a bit larger than your tart or pie pan.

Chocolate Creme Pat:

Divine chocolate pastry cream inspired by The Flavor Bender

2 cups milk

½ cup sugar

2 Tbsp cocoa powder

2 Tbsp cornstarch

¼ tsp salt

2 eggs

1 egg yolk

6 oz bittersweet chocolate chips

2 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp vanilla

Cook the milk over low heat in a saucepan. Whisk together the sugar, cocoa, cornstarch and salt in a mixing bowl.  Whisk eggs and yolk into the mixing bowl and a ladleful of hot milk, whisk into a paste.  Whisk this mixture together well so your eggs will not curdle. Continue whisking in ladlefuls until milk is about half used. Pour egg & hot milk mixture back into the pot and cook stirring with a wooden spoon until thickened. Turn off heat and stir in chocolate chips, butter and vanilla. Let cool occasionally stirring in any thick film that forms on top.

Stone Fruit Topping:

2 peaches, pitted and sliced

2 nectarines,  pitted and sliced

1 cup cherries, pitted and halved

Juice of ½ a lemon

2 Tbsp apricot jam, warmed slightly

In a large bowl, add fruits, lemon juice and jam; gently stir to glaze the fruits. Place on top of pie decoratively.