BY
Do you guys have those moments in your life that you always think back to when you’re referencing past events? Like…was that before or after my first child was born? Was that before or after we moved across the country? Or got married? Or started a new job or bought a house?
Five years ago (and honestly, in so many ways, it feels like a lifetime ago), my husband and I had just moved to Louisiana. We had a 3-year-old who is now 8 (yes, I can do simple math) and a baby who is now 5 (again with the simple math). We were living in a teeeeeny tiny little rental house, the economy was on the verge of collapsing, and I didn’t know a single soul.
On the other side of the country, there was my friend Sara, who had a 2-year-old and was verypregnant with her second baby.
And we just decided to start putting recipes up on a blog, just for fun, kind of to keep ourselves sane.
I don’t know about the sane part, but the blog part is still here, 5 years, one name change (who’s been here since we were The Daily Bite??), at least 4 logo designs, 2 cookbooks, and 793 recipes later.
There’s no way to explain what a blessing this blog has been in our lives. It’s forced us to learn things we never thought we’d have to learn, do scary and wonderful things we never thought we’d do, and get to know people we never would have the chance to meet otherwise. You guys, if we didn’t have people reading this, this whole blog project would have fallen to the wayside a long time ago. You have read and loved and supported us, you’ve cooked and laughed and cried with us and we truly can’t thank you enough. For all those of you who we’ve had the chance to meet, or talk to, or email, we’ve loved it. For those of you who lurk in the shadows, that’s okay–we love you, too.
We’re not Oprah, so giving everyone a car is out of the question. Instead, I’m giving you pie. The catch is that you have to make it yourself.
I have not had French Silk Pie since I was a single lass in college and my roommate Sara (not Our Best Bites Sara…our only experience with being roommates is two nights in a hotel in Des Moines) made it so our apartment could impress an apartment full of guys. Why haven’t I made it in the past…um…12 1/2 years (it hurts to write those numbers)? Because it has raw eggs in it. And you guys know how I feel about cooked eggs, let alone raw eggs.
The whole raw egg issue is a hot topic. We’ve talked raw eggs before and opinions on the safety of raw eggs is all over the map. Here are the opinions and options you’re likely to run across (DISCLAIMER: THESE ARE NOT OUR BEST BITES’ OPINIONS! If you eat raw eggs and get sick and sue us, that’ll be a bummer for everyone!):
1) The chance of contracting salmonella from raw eggs is very small, so don’t worry about it.
2) If you eat raw farm-fresh eggs, you should be fine.
3) French people eat raw eggs all the time and they’re fine. Anyone who worries about contracting diseases from raw eggs are pansies. Now go away or they shall taunt us a second time.
3) If you wash eggs with antibacterial soap, it will kill the germs.
4) You can “pasteurize” the eggs by an elaborate microwave method that probably works and sounds like something that would make me not want to eat eggs for 10 years.
5) You can buy pasteurized eggs that are safe to eat raw.
I personally have never known anyone to get sick from eating raw eggs, but I still don’t do it or advocate it., but I have deep-rooted egg-related neuroses that may require therapy. And up until recently, I haven’t been able to find pasteurized eggs, until I stumbled (not literally…that would have been messy) upon them at my beloved Kroger.
They are expensive. For me, they’re not everyday eggs. But I can be 95% okay with eating French Silk Pie now, until I actually eat it, at which point I am 123% okay with eating it because it is the most delicious and decadent and best pie of all the pies.
For the crust, you’re going to need a stick of cold, salted butter, grated with a cheese grater…
all-purpose flour, brown sugar, salt, and pecans that have been finely chopped or ground (not into pecan butter, just into crumbs) in a blender or food processor.
Preheat oven to 325. Butter, grease, or spray a 9″ pie plate and set aside.
Combine the crust ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and combine with your fingers until coarse crumbs form.
Press into the prepared pie plate, using your fingers or the base of a glass to evenly form a crust.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the crust is becoming golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
For the filling, you’ll need 1 1/2 sticks of salted butter, 1 cup sugar, vanilla, 3 eggs, and 3 ounces of unsweetened chocolate that’s been melted and cooled (so it’s still liquid, just not hot chocolatey liquid).
In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the 1 1/2 sticks of butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Add the melted chocolate
and mix until combined.
Add 1 egg and beat for 5 minutes. Add the second egg and beat for another 5 minutes, and then add the third egg, beating for another 5 minutes. Yes, that is 15 minutes of beating. No, you may not cheat and not mix it for that long; only sadness will befall you. Scrape down the sides of the bowl if necessary.
Using a rubber spatula, scrape the chocolate filling into the pie crust.
Carefully cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. When ready to serve, top with sweetened whipped cream and chocolate shavings. Makes 8 slices.
Thank you guys, again, for 5 of the most amazing years of our lives! Here’s to many more years of delicious fun-filled blog friendship in the future!
French Silk Pie
Recipe from Martha Stewart
Ingredients:
Crust:
1 stick salted butter, grated
1/3 cup pecan halves, coarsely ground in blender or food processor or finely chopped
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, lightly spooned into measuring cups and leveled with a knife
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
Filling:
1 1/2 sticks salted butter, softened at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
3 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate, melted
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 large eggs (pasteurized if possible)
Sweetened whipped cream
Shaved chocolate curls
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 325. Butter, grease, or spray a 9″ pie plate and set aside.
Combine the crust ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and combine with your fingers until coarse crumbs form. Press into the prepared pie plate, using your fingers or the base of a glass to evenly form a crust. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the crust is becoming golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the 1 1/2 sticks of butter, vanilla, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the melted chocolate and mix until combined. Add 1 egg and beat for 5 minutes. Add the second egg and beat for another 5 minutes, and then add the third egg, beating for another 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl if necessary.
Using a rubber spatula, scrape the chocolate filling into the pie crust. Carefully cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. When ready to serve, top with sweetened whipped cream and chocolate shavings. Makes 8 slices.
Happy birthday!!! Congratulations on all your success. It is well deserved. Thank you for all the amazing recipes:)
Ok…so this is totally random and has nothing to do with this amazing pie. The other day I was watching my Denver Time out for Women DVD and watched your presentations and remembered how totally you girls did. Hilarious! Anyway, that night I had a dream that you guys opened a super hip, fresh and airy restaurant(kind of like Sara’s new kitchen) in Chicago named, of course, Our Best Bites, but it wasn’t really Chicago, but in Europe on the street I grew up. And then I saw you two and was totally star struck and started babbling (kinda like I am now) about how much I love your blog and get this…your Reuben sandwich in the restaurant. I don’t even know if I’ve ever had one, or if you even posted a recipe like that. ANYWAY…how random and weird is that?!? Just so you don’t think I am a weird stalker, really…I dream a lot during the night, and ALL my dreams are super random, and weird…but very vivid and I remember them all. Weird!!!
Oh…and happy birthday to this awesome blog! You guys rock! Seriously!
Okay, that is hilarious. And your’re not gonna scare me; I’m the queen of having weird dreams about people. And you’re not crazy, we did have a corned beef panini. I ended up pulling it (maybe temporarily–the file is still there) for various reasons. 🙂
Hooray, I can’t wait to make this..I have tried a few different french silk pie recipes and they have been utter failures. Looking forward to one that works, as all your recipes have for me. Excited!
It looks yum! But raw eggs aren’t really my thing….at all!
So, I have to ask, did you do pie because of the date? Today (Well, yesterday now), is Pie Day (3.14).
I wanted to so pie, and then realized what day it was, so it was a happy coincidence. 🙂
So, since this was posted so late, I don’t know if the birthday for the blog is 3/14 or 3/15, but if it was 3/14, this is totally apropos, since 3/14 is pi(e) day. Get it? Ok, I know I’m a nerd. But if it’s 3/14, you should post a birthday pi(e) every year! Thanks for the recipes. And really, it’s not just the food I come here for (since I don’t eat cheese or chocolate, and they come into play quite a bit here)- I love the posts themselves- totally my type of writing and personality.
Thanks!
This is my favorite pie, though I always make it with a graham cracker crust. I made it for Thanksgiving at my in laws’ once. When someone told me it was delicious, instead of saying “thank you” I replied, “I know, right?!” Years later, they still tease me about how “humble” I am. Love your site, love your cookbooks. Happy birthday!
HA! I love that story. This pie TOTALLY deserves it, though–no humility for French silk pie.
Happy birthday guys!! And what a fabulous way to celebrate!
Happy birthday! This pie looks so yummy. Is this a dumb question…do you measure the nuts before or after you grind them into crumbs?
Not dumb at all! Before. 🙂
Yesterday while I was making a chocolate pie (your chocolate mousse recipe in an oreo cookie crust with crushed oreos on top — easy and delicious) for our family pi day celebration I was thinking it’s too bad pi day is on a Thursday and OBB isn’t posting a pie for it. I’m glad I was wrong and you were posting anyway, even if it was for your birthday and not for pi day. Happy birthday and I can’t wait to try the pie!
Happy Birthday OBB!!!
Happy Birthday!! Love you girls, so many of your recipes have become staples around my house!
Ohhh french silk…. I could kiss you! I am way excited to make this!!! Happy bday too!
Just make sure it’s not a French kiss. 😉
YUM! and… Happy Birthday! You’re my most favorite food blog of all time.
Oh my goodness!! That looks amazing!!!!!!!
This is crazy. I have to make a pie tonight for something and I was thinking…I sure wish Best Bites had a French Silk Pie Recipe. This morning I woke up, and my wish came true. Perfect timing. Wow. Can’t write to test it out.
Happy birthday! Love your blog and recipes! The pie looks great. I’ve never had a French silk pie before. Looks delicious.
I’ve made French Silk Pie before with Egg Beaters since they are pasteurized and it turned out great! I realize that there aren’t any yolks in them, but they are safe, relatively inexpensive, and pretty readily available. It gives the equivalent measurements of a real egg right on the package too! We’ve also used them in homemade strawberry ice cream that called for raw eggs, and it also turned out great.
Same here, I’ve used a recipe for many years with the Egg Beaters. It is a family favorite at Thanksgiving. Works great every time.
Wow! 5 years! How life changes! Glad to have “known” you for 4 of those years. Your first cookbook was a housewarming gift to myself when we moved into our new house (that we built while i was pregnant! Moved in 3 days before our (10 day overdue ) baby was born. I’ve got similar egg issues that kept me from trying Caesar salad until about a year ago. Even though I “know” it’s safe.
Happy blog birthday! This should be a national hopiday for all the help you ladies have given out over the years! :). Quick question, because I too have raw egg phobias (maybe there’s a support group?), but could I sub in the pasturized egg stuff in the carton? I’m sorry, but I don’t remember the name of it. Or would that just be weird and sad?
Egg Beaters!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! And this totally looks lovely!!
The honest truth is, I regularly lick the beaters and eat cookie dough even though I know you’re not “supposed” to. But the thought of serving up a dish that has so much raw egg in it still makes me nervous. This pie looks soooo stinkin’ amazing, though, I just have to try it. I’ll have to search around for some pasteurized eggs or get egg beaters or something so I don’t have to worry about anyone getting sick. If that makes me a pansy, so be it. 😉 Thanks for always posting so many delicious recipes, guys. 😀
Uhhhh, I thought for the WHOLE FIRST HALF of this post that you were SAYING GOODBYE. You cannot do this to me. Forget the pie. I need a Valium. 🙂
I’m SO SORRY, haha! No, we’re not going anywhere…I wouldn’t know what to do with myself. 🙂
I use egg beaters and my recipe calls for 1 1/2 tsp. of vanilla. Sometimes I do half vanilla and half almond. So good! Oh, mine also uses cream of tarter- I don’t know what that does for the pie.
All those egg comments are funny because I JUST read an article about European eggs vs. eggs in America and how both would be illegal in the other location. America requires washing of eggs and keeping cold. European forbids washing eggs (because of the protective coating that they come out with would be removed) and keeps them room temp near other baking ingredients. And by the end of the article, I couldn’t really determine if one way was more RIGHT or more SAFE than another, I was just kinda “Wow. Eggs are more complicated than I thought.” Although, America HAS made it a priority to ship eggs to stores MUCH faster than before which also increases safety. The older the egg, the greater the risk of contamination or bacteria growth. I’ll probably splurge on the pasteurized ones to be extra cautious (since I’ve got little ones with less experienced immune systems) and make….MORE PIE! hehehe or maybe make some other things that have raw eggs in them….I can’t think of many….the original Orange Julius….ceasar dressing…..hmmm. Maybe I’ll make a LOT of pie and freeze some for later.
I remember when you were The Daily Bite. You had to remember all the dashes or else you would go to some vampire website! You guys have seriously improved my cooking skills! My husband and girls thank you!!!
HA! Oh, my gosh, that was so funny.
Happy Blogging Birthday! You have provided us with so many wonderful recipes 🙂 And this pie, yum!
I recently saw a recipe for French Silk Pie that heated the eggs, with the sugar, to 160° in a double boiler to make them safe for the pie. Basically this method, used for making swiss meringue buttercream:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBBoRMWcfNc
Except using the whole egg instead of just the whites. In case you’re interested.
Happy birthday!! Love this blog sooo much!
We’ve been making French Silk Pie for years! It’s the family favorite! But we always make it when my mom and all sisters are in the kitchen cooking together… because we double it and then eat half the pie filling before it even gets to the shell! But since we doubled it, there’s always enough! 😉 So as we cook other items, we get a finger dip of filling here and a spoon dip there, and the guys are none the wiser! So yummy you can’t help but dip a finger or two! Happy Birthday ladies! YOU are a blessing to us! Thank you!!
Not even Jim Gaffigan could deny this.
I am grateful that five years ago you started to blog. I really enjoy reading your blog and making recipes from your blog and cookbook. Happy Blog Birthday. This pie looks delicious. Thank you!
Thanks, Kate! I love French Silk Pie, but I’ve never made it. I had nose surgery a week ago and a nerve was bruised making my front teeth and the roof of my mouth feel like I was beat up with a bat – even though I wasn’t and they’re fine. The only thing that feels good is something super soft in my mouth. I think it’s really a mental thing but this is going to be so so so so heavenly! Thank you!
: ) Heike
That looks so decadent and delicious! I can not wait to try it…and I have no problem with raw eggs.
Happy birthday. I love reading your blog and we have tried and liked quite a few of your recepies. We are deffinitelly going to try this one too. We eat raw eggs ( I like the eggs mixed with sugar: it’s delitious) and we haven’t been sick because of that. The only time that I didn’t eat them or try to avoid them was when I was pregnant. During this time I promised myself as fast the child is born I will make myself some “sugar eggs” and eat some persutto (raw dry meat).
Thank you for writing for us.
This looks delicious and the only time I have had French Silk is at Village Inn years ago. I’m sure I need a re-do. And though I would never gulp down a raw egg all by itself, I have eaten raw cookie dough and brownie batter all my days and I have never gotten sick. I’ll just knock on wood before I eat this pie!
Happy Birthday! I have a binder filled with your recipes! Love you guys!
Use those pasteurized eggs for making mayo also. You can take a chance on eating raw eggs yourself, but I wouldn’t do that to others, it’s not worth the risk.
I totally remember when you guys were the daily bite!! Way to go! Congrats!
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!
I’m a registered dietitian and just want to say that the FDA estimates that a whopping 142,000 illnesses are caused each year by salmonella contaminated eggs. Back in late 2010, close to 2,000 people were sickened with Salmonella traced to an outbreak from shell eggs from just 2 suppliers in Iowa. Salmonella causes fever, diarrhea, and abdominal cramping but symptoms may not start until up to 72 hours after you eat the contaminated food – so by then you may have forgotten about the couple of bites of raw cookie dough you ate 3 days ago. If you’ve ever had cramps and diarrhea out of nowhere, it could have been Salmonella you didn’t know you had. Get the pasteurized stuff and don’t take the risk, especially if you’re feeding little ones or people with weak immune systems.
PS – awesome looking pie and wonderful website! Happy Birthday!
Hi Kate,
Happy Birthday to you and Sara and OUR BEST BITES. I am one of the people lurking around. I have grown to love both of you because of your humor, attitude, sweetness, faith, well everything else. Thanks to both of you for letting people share in your life through this blog and through the speaking engagements you have done.
Happy Birthday and thanks for all you do!
Thanks for the fond memories of this recipe. It, too, harkens back to my sorority days which were, ahem, plenty MORE than 12 yr ago. I dug the recipe out for my sister-in-law who said the filling was so great she and her teenage boys ate it out of the bowl. For St. Patrick’s Day I was planning to make Irish Car Bomb cupcakes or Guiness Chocolate cake, but this will definitely get made tomorrow. Perhaps will serve it with Irish Cream or Whiskey-laced whipped cream. Wicked good.
A chef friend of mine suggested using the presented packets of chocolate because if your chocolate isn’t cooled enough it can cook the eggs.
hi kate, i have a question. i have never ever seen a cheese grater used to grate butter for a pie crust. and i was just wondering, how, why? does it really work? how did you find this mystical magical method of making the perfect pie crust? i have to know!
It’s just so much easier and faster to grate a cold stick of butter than to try and cut it into tiny pieces while it’s still cold. Try it–seriously, it will change your life! 🙂
you’re actually brilliant
I will be making the French Silk Pie next week. It looks delicious! I have both of the Best Bites cookbooks. I know where the cookbooks are at all times. They have become like friends to me. With best wishes to you both.
I am so glad I have been able to be around since the beginning! (I am an old LDS BBC Gal) I have so many favorite recipes from you two! Happy birthday!
Happy Birthday! You two make me smile every week. 🙂 Thanks.
Can’t believe it’s been 5 years already! You have done so well and will continue to. So very happy and proud of you and Sara!
I love French Silk Pie. I know your crust probably elevates it to be 1000% better, but just FYI – if you’re really jonesing for one and are short on time, just plop the whole filling in a store-bought Oreo crust. Divine!
Thanks ladies, for the 5 years of great recipes – we love you!
Happy blogiversary! I’ve been “lurking in the shadows” (sounds pretty creepy, lol) for a couple of years now and have been enjoying your blog immensely all the way from Israel! Aside from your recipes, I love your self-deprecating sense of humor and overall openness with your readers. BTW, I’m hosting 5 preschoolers this week for a “mommies camp” during our spring break and am planning to do Sara’s homemade crayon craft with them. Your blog is so colorful and creative and I look forward to every post. Keep ’em coming!! <3
You know, I have spent decades in the kitchen, and I’m all about homemade when it comes to pies. I never considered grating my butter before. I have always religiously cut it into my flour. What a great way to do it. So glad I browsed this recipe today. 🙂
One of my companions on my mission shared this recipe with me. It is beyond delicious!! Congratulations on your success!! 🙂
Happy birthday! Not a week goes by that I don’t make at least one (sometimes several) of your recipes. I’m making my grocery list right now and I’m using three of yours. So thanks for all the fun meal and treat inspiration!!
I know I’m a few days late but Happy Birthday! I have been looking around for a good French silk pie recipe, thank you for helping me out with that.:) On top of all of your wonderful recipes, you ladies are hilarious! Thanks for the laugh!
If they taunt us a second time we can always tell them their mother was a hamster and their father smelled of elderberries. I’ve been tagging along with you guys since The Daily Bite because you’re the best there is. Raw eggs never hurt Rocky Balboa. Happy Birthday OBB!
The pie looks great, and Happy Birthday, but what I really want to know about is that clear glass mixing bowl for your kitchen aid! When did they come out with those? I love it!
I’m not totally sure, but I got mine a year or two ago from Amazon. Life-changing. Okay, that might be exaggerating a little, but most definitely awesome. 🙂
Do you ever have trouble with the pie being grainy? My husband LOVES this pie and I can only get it right about half of the time. Any suggestions on preventing a grainy texture?
I haven’t, BUT the biggest thing you can do is make SURE you’re beating for the full 5 minutes after every egg and are scraping down the sides of the bowl frequently. The graininess comes from sugar not getting the chance to dissolve completely, so as long as it’s actively in the mix, you’ll be fine!
Congrats on your blog birthday! One quick question- the vanilla is listed in the ingredients but nowhere in the directions. When should it be added? Thanks in advance 🙂
Happy blog birthday! What a milestone.
I made this yesterday, and it is AH-MAY-ZING!!! Happy Blog-Birthday! I’m SOOO glad you ladies do this, because I was getting so bored of making the same stuff all the time! I have both your cookbooks, and we definitely have some new family favorites. Congratulations, and here’s to many, many more years of you two doing something you love that we love, too!
That pie was delicious for our Easter dessert! Thanks, Kate. I do wonder if powdered sugar–instead of the granulated sugar (i.e. regular table sugar?)–would make my pie less grainy (as Kirsten on 3.20 also mentioned). Thanks to you, Kate, I now know where to go to get “safe eggs.” My local Dillons (Kroger) thankfully carries them, which my husband especially appreciates. He *hates* it when I eat raw cookies dough, brownie batter, etc, so it’s worth literally paying twice as much for those lovely shelled pasteurized eggs. Happy (late) birthday to your blog, which I’ve enjoyed for years, as well as both of your cookbooks. I use the books at least weekly! Baked creamy chicken taquitos is our go-to for company dinner. Thanks for all of your hard work and creativity!
I wouldn’t use powdered sugar–it’s just a different beast. My biggest piece of advice to keep it from being grainy is to make SURE you’re beating the filling for the full 5 minutes after adding each egg and scraping down the sides of the bowl completely and frequently.
Hope that helps! 🙂
I made this last night with fresh eggs from my chickens. My new favorite pie! I didn’t have any grainy problems. I scraped the bowl a couple of times after each egg. I set a timer for the 5 minute mixing for each egg also. Fantastic!
Since I am pregnant I was a bit concerned with the raw eggs. But after seeing the pictures of this pie I just had to have it. So I cooked the eggs with half of the sugar in a double boiler until they reached 160 F. I whisked it the whole time to keep it liquid. And then I let them cool and followed the rest of the recipe as written. For the steps about the egg I just added 1/3 of my pasteurized mixture for each egg. I’m not sure how it compares to the recipe as written, but my husband and I thought it was delicious!!
MMM, this looks amazing! So, just a quick question: Any suggestions on a substitute for pecans if someone with food allergies were to consume this? Maybe just leave them out? thanks!
Hi, just a quick question… Your blog says to use 1 & 1/2 sticks of butter .. what does this work out in grams/ mass?
The recipe looks delicious … Looking forward to trying it 🙂
Also happy bithday … Love your blog 🙂
This sounds amazing!! I have to try this!
i can honestly say the amount of work this pie takes is not worth it. It was exhausting. And in all reality all my friends say it tastes exactly like kraft instant pudding mix. this one wasnt the best
I think I have to disagree with the comment above, I made this pie last night (with a few tweaks, so maybe that makes my opinion invalid) and it was totally worth it! In fact I thought that it was incredibly easy for how amazing the end result was. I used a graham cracker crust (which makes the recipes even simpler) and replaced 1/4 cup butter with a heaping 1/2 cup of peanut butter for a chocolate peanut butter pie of deliciousness! I would really like to try and use this recipe to make a peanut butter pie but I was afraid of taking out the chocolate in case there would be a lack of flavor since I didn’t know how much peanut butter I should add and if I should take out more butter when adding more peanut butter. If you have any suggestions on how to make this a peanut butter pie, I would love to hear it!
Hey there. Just wondering if you could sub almonds for pecans. Thanks.
Made this for Thanksgiving last week and it was AMAZING! Everybody raved about it. I had serious doubts but seriously I’m already wondering when I can make it again. Thanks for another wonderful recipe!
It says to refrigerate for “at least 4 hours.” Is there an “at most” amount of time? Wondering how far in advance I could make this? Excited to try this!
You could make it 1-2 days in advance if you want! ?