This is my take on the famous “Blum’s Coffee Toffee Pie”.
I first made this pie onboard the Crown Odyssey in 2000. As you can see there are quite a few rest periods between stages. Onboard ships and nowadays on our riverboats, time isn’t on our side. Between these stages I ran the pie down to the massive ice cream freezer and placed them (fully covered) under the huge freezer units. Needless to say, 15 minutes later they were ready for the next stage. 22 years on we allow the correct timings for this complicated and delicious dish.

Coffee Toffee Pie Recipe

CHOCOLATE DOUGH

• 5 oz plain flour
• 5 oz butter, softened
• 2 oz brown sugar
• 1 oz unsweetened best quality chocolate, grated
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 2 tbsps. or more, milk
• 3 oz finely chopped walnuts

FILLING

• 5 oz butter, softened
• 7 oz sugar
• 2 tsps. powdered instant coffee
• 1 oz unsweetened (bitter) cooking chocolate, melted
• 2 eggs

TOPPING

• 11/2 cups heavy (double) cream, chilled
• 3 oz icing sugar
• 1 ½ tbsps. nonfat dry milk
• 1 ½ tbsps. powdered instant coffee
• 1 tbsp grated unsweetened (bitter) cooking chocolate

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 375F and set out a 10in-pie plate
2. To make the dough, combine the flour, butter, brown sugar and chocolate in a bowl and mix until well blended, using your fingertips. Add the vanilla, 2 tbsps. of milk and the walnuts and mix well. The mixture should form into a cookie like dough (but not sticky). If it is too dry, add a few drops more milk.
3. As it is a cookie like dough it is not harmed by handling. The easiest way to get it into the pan is to take plum-sized pieces and press them onto the bottom and sides of the pan, making sure you distribute them evenly, with no gaps or thin spots. Press the dough well up the sides too, then crimp the edges. Prick all over with a fork and press a piece of heavy-duty foil snugly into the pie shell. Bake for 8 mins, then remove the foil and bake for about 10 minutes more, or until the shell is dry and crisp. Remove to a rack and let cool completely before filling.
4. To make the filling, put the butter in the large bowl of an electric mixer and beat until fluffy. Beating on high speed gradually add the sugar. Beat in the instant coffee and melted chocolate. Add 1 egg and beat on the highest speed for 5 minutes. Add the second egg and beat for 5 minutes more. Spread the filling evenly in the cooled pie shell, then cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or overnight, before topping.
5. To prepare the topping, combine the cream, powered sugar, dry milk and instant coffee in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until stiff. Spread in peaks and swirls over the chilled pie and sprinkle with the grated chocolate. Refrigerate again for at least 2 hours before serving.