Total time: About 1 hour, plus cooling time for the pie



Servings: Makes 1 (10-inch) pie, serves 8 to 10

Graham Crust

1 1/2 cups (190 grams) graham cracker crumbs, from about 12 graham crackers



1/4 cup (20 grams) milk powder



2 tablespoons (25 grams) sugar



3/4 teaspoon (3 grams) kosher salt



1/4 cup (1/2 stick or 55 grams) butter, melted



1/4 cup (55 grams) heavy cream



1. In a medium bowl, toss the graham crumbs, milk powder, sugar and salt with your hands in a medium bowl to evenly distribute the dry ingredients.

2. In a small bowl, whisk the butter and heavy cream together. Add to the dry ingredients and toss again to evenly distribute. The butter will act as a glue, adhering to the dry ingredients and turning the mixture into a bunch of small clusters. The mixture should hold its shape if squeezed tightly in the palm of your hand. If it is not moist enough to do so, melt an additional 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons butter and add it to the mixture.

3. This makes slightly more crust than is needed for the remainder of the recipe. Eat immediately, or deploy as directed in the recipe. The crust is easiest to mold just after mixing. Stored in an airtight container, graham crust will keep fresh for 1 week at room temperature or for 1 month in the fridge or freezer.

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Into a 10-inch pie tin, dump 1 1/4 cups (210 grams) of the graham crust into a 10-inch pie tin and set the remaining 1/4 cup to the side. With your fingers and the palms of your hands, press the crust firmly into the pie tin, covering the bottom and sides of the pan completely. Wrapped in plastic, the crust can be refrigerated or frozen for up to 2 weeks.



3. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate and butter and gently melt them together on low heat, for 30 to 50 seconds. Use a heat-proof spatula to stir them together, working until the mixture is glossy and smooth.



4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the eggs and sugar and whip together on high speed for 3 to 4 minutes, until the mixture is fluffy and pale yellow and has reached the ribbon state. (Detach your whisk, dunk it into the whipped eggs, and wave it back and forth like a pendulum: The mixture should form a thickened, silky ribbon that falls and then disappears into the batter.) If the mixture does not form ribbons, continue whipping on high as needed.



5. Replace the whisk with the paddle attachment. Dump the chocolate mixture into the eggs and briefly mix together on low speed, then increase the speed to medium and paddle the mixture for 1 minute, or until it is brown and completely homogenous, about 1 minute. If there are any dark streaks of chocolate, paddle for a few seconds longer, or as needed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.



6. Add the flour, cocoa powder and salt and paddle on low speed for 45 to 60 seconds. There should be no clumps of dry ingredients. If there are any lumps, mix for an additional 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.



7. Stream in the heavy cream on low speed, mixing for 30 to 45 seconds, just until the batter has loosened up a little and the white streaks of cream are fully mixed in. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.



8. Detach the paddle and remove the bowl from the mixer. Gently fold in the remaining 1/4 cup of graham crust with a spatula. (These crumbs will add little bursts of flavor and texture into the pie filling.)



9. Grab a sheet pan and put your pie tin of graham crust on it. With a spatula, scrape the brownie batter into the graham shell. Bake for 25 minutes. The pie should puff slightly on the sides and develop a sugary crust on top. If the brownie pie is still liquid in the center and has not formed a crust, bake it for an additional 5 minutes or so.



10. Cool the pie on a rack. (You can speed up the cooling process by carefully transferring the pie to the fridge or freezer directly out of the oven if you're in a hurry.) Wrapped in plastic, the pie will keep fresh in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.)