Chocolate Chili Chess Pie

Let's Cook

1. Step 1.

   Refrigerate the dough for 1 hour. On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough out into an 11-inch circle about ¼ inch thick. Fit it into a 9-inch pie plate. Crimp the edges and chill in the freezer while you melt the chocolate.

2. Step 2.

   Over a saucepan of simmering water, stack a metal or glass bowl, making sure it fits snugly but the water doesn’t touch the bottom. Put the chocolate, butter, cocoa, and red pepper flakes in the bowl and stir until fully melted and smooth. Keep warm over low heat while you parbake the shell.

3. Step 3.

   Preheat the oven to 375°F. To parbake the shell, cut a circle of parchment paper to fit over the crust and place it on top. Add dried beans or pie weights on top of the parchment. Bake for 12 minutes, then remove the beans and parchment, and bake the crust for another 3 minutes. The crust should be lightly golden brown on the edges and a pale tan on the bottom.

4. Step 4.

   Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, milk, flour, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Add the warm chocolate mixture to the filling and mix until well blended.

5. Step 5.

   Pour the filling into the parbaked crust and bake until it’s set and no longer jiggly in the middle, about 40 minutes. The crust will be a bit puffed and starting to crack. Let cool before serving.