Food & Wine USA - (11)November 2018

92 NOVEMBER 2018

Jaynelle

St. Jean

PieTisserie, Oakland, CA

pietisserie.com

When she was 16 years old,

Jaynelle St. Jean got a

pie-baking lesson from a

boyfriend’s mother. “I

couldn’t believe that just five

basic ingredients could come

together to make something

so delicious,” she says. With

it came an enduring analogy:

“You can put together a

wonderful life if you can just

work with what you have.”

Years later, that guidance

has led St. Jean to a baking

career that she uses to bring

her neighbors together. At

PieTisserie, St. Jean teaches

pie-making classes along

with a philosophy that

encourages “random acts

of sweetness”: making

something and sharing it

with the people around

you in a delightful and

unexpected way.

Black-Bottom Walnut Pie

ACTIVE 20 MIN; TOTAL 6 HR 20

MIN; SERVES 8

A layer of bittersweet chocolate

anchors this rich nut pie. With a

filling reminiscent of classic

pecan pies, the walnuts in St.

Jean’s pie float to the top of the

custard and toast to golden

brown perfection. Be sure to let

the pie cool fully before slicing.

4 oz. bittersweet chocolate,

finely chopped

1 / 4 cup heavy cream

1 Master Pie Dough pie shell

(recipe p. 89)

1 cup light corn syrup

2 large eggs, beaten

1 / 4 cup light brown sugar

2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter,

melted

1 Tbsp. molasses

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 / 4 tsp. kosher salt

2 cups walnut halves

1. Place chocolate in a small
   heatproof bowl. Place heavy
   cream in a microwavable bowl;
   microwave at high until hot, 30
   to 45 seconds. Pour over choco-
   late; stir until smooth and melted.
   Spread chocolate mixture in an
   even layer on bottom of frozen
   pie shell. Freeze, uncovered,
   until hard, at least 1 hour or up
   to overnight.


2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk
   together corn syrup, eggs, brown
   s u g a r, f l o u r, b u t te r, m o l a s s e s ,
   vanilla, and salt in a bowl. Sprin-
   kle walnuts over chocolate layer
   in frozen pie shell; pour corn
   syrup mixture over walnuts. Bake
   in preheated oven until edges are
   set, about 1 hour. Transfer pie to
   a wire rack to cool completely,
   about 4 hours.

PORTRAIT: ALANNA HALE