Get an ‘Eiffel’ of this French silk pie

Apparently, Americans have a weird habit of naming foods “French” even when they aren’t.

French fries actually originated in Belgium. French toast is from Spain. And French silk pie was actually inven­ted by American Betty Cooper in the 1950s for the Pillsbury Bake-Off.

From what I can tell, Cooper might have named her creation because she wanted it to sound a bit fancy and because the creaminess of the filling was akin to silk. But no matter why she gave it its name, I’m wholeheartedly a fan of her awesome pie.

Cooper’s original recipe (which you can find on Pillsbury’s website, if you’re curious) includes cranking the oven up to 450 degrees and heating chocolate on the stove. Obviously, it was not meant to be made in August in Kansas.

That’s why I was excited about a no-bake version that also ups the ante with a pretzel crust. The recipe is by Tieghan Gerard, who has the blog “Half-Baked Harvest.” I found it at http://cupofjo.com/2014/05/no-bake-french-silk-pie/.

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No-Bake French Silk Pie

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups pretzels, crushed

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup honey

6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla

4 eggs

Directions

Spray an 8-inch spring form pan (or pie plate) with cooking spray.

In a bowl, mix the 1/2 cup of butter, honey and pretzels until the pretzels are all coated.

Press the mixture into the bottom and sides of the pan and set aside.

Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave.

Using a mixer with a whisk attachment, beat the 1 cup of butter and sugar for a couple minutes until it’s fluffy. Beat in the chocolate and vanilla.

Now add the eggs, one at a time, beating for five minutes after each one.

Once the filling is finished, pour it into the pretzel crust.

Chill for at least two hours or overnight in the refrigerator.

Before serving, top with whipped topping, a few crumbled pretzels and some chocolate chips.

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I was glad I used my spring form pan to bake this, because it was way easier to slice and serve, but a pie pan would work just as well.

The saltiness from the pretzel crust nicely complements the chocolate and creaminess of the filling. It was not just a perfect summer dessert but a good one for any time of the year.

I don’t know what was particularly “French” about this pie, but just like all of our other “French” foods, it doesn’t really matter either way when you get the chance to enjoy it.

Lindsey Young is managing editor of The Clarion, the Kansas Publishing Ventures newspaper in Andale. She can be reached at lindseyclarion@gmail.com.

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