When I was growing up, my mom would often make Nestle Toll House chocolate chip pie for the holidays. I loved that pie. It was gooey and buttery and right up my chocolate-lined alley. Since I’ve been an adult, however, I think I’ve only made this pie once, and it was many many years ago.

This Thanksgiving I decided to resurrect the chocolate chip pie. I made one for Thanksgiving. It was delicious, although the proportions weren’t right for a standard-sized pie dish. In the name of good pie, I made another one to get the recipe just right. You’re welcome.

A few quick notes before we get to the recipe:

• This pie is buttery. As in it has a ton of butter. You can see and taste that butter in the finished pie and it is a good, good thing. But, I thought I should warn you that my nickname for this is “Butter Pie.”
• Chocolate chip pie is much better served warm. When you are eating leftovers, heat up your slice for 12-15 seconds in the microwave and it should be perfect.
• Even though this pie has eggs, I store it covered at room temperature. The crust stays much flakier that way and I figure the pie is like a giant cookie and cookies are fine at room temperature. So far I’ve never had a problem. (The original Toll House recipe has no instructions about storage.)
• You can click here for the original Toll House recipe, which is for a 9-inch 4-cup volume pie crust, which is smaller than a homemade crust made in a 9.75-inch pie dish. The original version cooks faster than my version below. You can use the original recipe in the larger homemade crust, but the filling will only fill up the crust about halfway, although it cooks much faster.

Chocolate Chip Pie

 

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Adapted from a Nestle Toll House recipe. My proportions below are for a larger 9.75-inch homemade crust, the Toll House recipe is for a smaller 9-inch pie crust.

Author: Jane Maynard

Ingredients

• 1 unbaked 9.75-inch pie crust (standard pie dish size; see pie crust recipe below)
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1½ cup (3 sticks) butter, softened to room temperature
• 1½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped nuts (optional - I never add nuts)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325º F.
2. Freeze pie crust for 30 minutes before filling and baking.
3. In a large mixer bowl, beat eggs on high until foamy and very light in color. Beat in flour and both sugars. Beat in butter and mix on medium-high until fully combined.
4. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts (if using).
5. Spread batter in pie crust. (Please note: this recipe is for a 9.75-inch standard pie dish. If you are using a store-bought crust say from the freezer section, the crust may be smaller. If this is the case, fill the crust near the top, but if you have extra batter, just leave it out.)
6. Bake for 60-90 minutes (if you use a smaller 9-inch crust and leave out the extra batter, it will be about 60 minutes, if you use a deep-dish, larger pie crust, it will take more like 90 minutes). When you nudge the pie dish in the oven, the middle should still jiggle just a little bit. If the top and crust are getting too brown, lightly cover with foil while the pie finishes baking.
7. Cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before eating. Store at room temperature, covered, and warm leftover slices in the microwave for 12-15 seconds.

Notes

Whipped cream or ice cream go great with this pie!

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All-Butter Crust

 

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From "Pie School: Lessons in Fruit, Flour and Butter" by Kate Lebo. Reprinted with permission.

Author: Kate Lebo

Ingredients

• 2½ cups flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) well-chilled unsalted butter

Instructions

1. Fill a spouted liquid measuring cup with about 1½ cups of water, plop in some ice cubes, and place it in the freezer while you prepare the next steps of the recipe. The idea is to have more water than you need for the recipe (which will probably use ½ cup or less) at a very cold temperature, not to actually freeze the water or use all 1½ cups in the dough.
2. In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, and salt. Cut ½- to 1-tablespoon pieces of butter and drop them into the flour. Toss the fat with the flour to evenly distribute it.
3. Position your hands palms up, fingers loosely curled. Scoop up flour and fat and rub it between your thumb and fingers, letting it fall back into the bowl after rubbing. Do this, reaching into the bottom and around the sides to incorporate all the flour into the fat, until the mixture is slightly yellow, slightly damp. It should be chunky””mostly pea-size with some almond- and cherry-size pieces. The smaller bits should resemble coarse cornmeal.
4. Take the water out of the freezer. Pour it in a steady thin stream around the bowl for about 5 seconds. Toss to distribute the moisture. You’ll probably need to pour a little more water on and toss again. As you toss and the dough gets close to perfection, it will become a bit shaggy and slightly tacky to the touch. Press a small bit of the mixture together and toss it gently in the air. If it breaks apart when you catch it, add more water, toss to distribute the moisture, and test again. If the dough ball keeps its shape, it’s done. (When all is said and done, you’ll have added about â…“ to ½ cup water.)
5. With firm, brief pressure, gather the dough in 2 roughly equal balls (if one is larger, use that for the bottom crust). Quickly form the dough into thick disks using your palms and thumbs. Wrap the disks individually in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for an hour to 3 days before rolling.
6. Click here to read my (as in Jane's) instructions and photos for rolling out the pie crust.

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