Chocolate French Silk Pie Bars with Graham Toffee Crust
Yield: 16 servings
Creamy and decadent, these Chocolate French Silk Pie Bars have all of the elements of the beloved pie on top of a delightful graham toffee crust. Pretty enough for holidays and special occasions, but easy enough to make year-round, these dessert bars are a guaranteed hit!
Ingredients
for the graham toffee crust:
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup toffee bits (I used Heath Bits ‘O Brickle Toffee Bits
- 4 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
for the chocolate French silk pie filling:
- 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate (I used Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Bar
- 2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (I used Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Baking Bar
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1.5 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
- pinch of kosher salt
- 4 large pasteurized eggs at room temperature
- freshly whipped and sweetened cream
- bittersweet chocolate shavings
Instructions
- For the graham toffee crust: Preheat oven to 325° F. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, salt, and toffee bits. Pulse a few times to combine and to break down the toffee bits just a bit. Add the melted butter and pulse a few times, until mixture is combined and evenly moistened by the butter.
- Pour mixture out into an 8” x 8” pan, and firmly press into an even layer onto the bottom of the pan. Bake for about 10 minutes, until fragrant and slightly golden. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.*
- For the chocolate French silk pie filling: In a small microwave-safe bowl, gently melt chocolates in the microwave, taking care to not scorch. Set aside and let cool until chocolate mixture is at room temperature.
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixture, using the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Drizzle chocolate over butter/sugar mixture and beat on medium-low speed until thoroughly combined. Add vanilla, espresso powder, and salt, and beat until combined.
- Switch to the whisk attachment. Then add one egg and beat for 5 minutes on medium speed. Repeat with remaining three eggs, beating the mixture for an additional 5 minutes with each egg addition, for a total of 20 minutes of beating.
- Pour chocolate filling into cooled graham toffee crust, spreading evenly with a spatula. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or until thoroughly chilled before serving.
To serve, top with freshly whipped, sweetened cream. Garnish with chocolate shavings.
Notes
*Note: to achieve ultra clean cuts of bars like you see in my photos, line your pan with a strip of foil first. Simply fold a 16'' long piece of foil into an 8'' x 16'' strip and place in an 8'' square baking pan, leaving an overhang on 2 sides. Press the graham toffee crust mix into the bottom of the pan that is lined with foil and bake. Proceed with the remainder of the recipe as usual. Once the bars are chilled, run a knife around the perimeter of the pan to loosen it, and then carefully lift the bars from the pan by pulling up on the foil lining. Place bars on a cutting board and then slice into squares. To get clean cuts, dip a long, thin, non-serrated knife into a tall, warm glass of water and then wipe knife clean after each cut.
The filling portion of this recipe was adapted from The Pioneer Woman’s French Silk Pie.
Nutrition Information:
Serving: 1 Calories: 320kcal Carbohydrates: 25g Protein: 4g Fat: 24g Saturated Fat: 14g Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g Cholesterol: 91mg Sodium: 80mg Fiber: 2g Sugar: 19g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Spoonacular. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your own favorite calculator.