By Valentine's Day. First one as a married couple. I considered making something elaborate — a tasting menu, a fancy dessert, candles and wine. Instead, I made Babcia's pierogi. Potato and cheese. The classic. The one that started everything.
Megan looked at the table — pierogi, sour cream, fried onions, a green salad, a glass of wine — and said, "Perfect." Not "just pierogi?" Not "you couldn't think of something else?" Just "perfect." Because she knows that for me, pierogi on Valentine's Day isn't lazy. It's the most romantic thing I can do. It's saying, "This is who I am. This is what I make. This is the food that means love in my family, and I'm giving it to you because you are the family now."
She gave me a cookbook — a book about fermentation, covering everything from sauerkraut to beer to vinegar. She knows me. She knows that I geek out about the science of food the same way she geeks out about lesson plans. The book is already dog-eared. I've read three chapters.
We didn't talk about the baby. We don't talk about it on special days. Special days are about what is, not what might be. What is: married, happy, eating pierogi on the couch, watching a movie, falling asleep together. What is, is enough. What might be, will come when it comes.
Made a chocolate mousse for dessert — dark chocolate, eggs, sugar, cream. Whipped and folded and chilled and served in small cups. Rich, airy, the kind of dessert that feels indulgent without being heavy. Megan ate two and fell asleep by 9:30, as she does. I covered her with a blanket and ate the third mousse myself. Marriage.
The chocolate mousse was my original plan for dessert that night — dark, airy, folded by hand — but Black Forest Pie captures that same spirit in a form I’ve come back to again and again since: rich chocolate, tart cherries, and cream, all in one dish that feels indulgent without demanding too much of you. If you’re making pierogi for the main course, you need a dessert that carries its own weight without stealing the show, and this is exactly that. Megan would have eaten three slices, same as she did the mousse — and I would have let her, and then quietly finished whatever was left after she fell asleep by 9:30.
Black Forest Pie
Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 10 min | Total Time: 30 min + 2 hrs chilling | Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 1 pre-baked 9-inch chocolate cookie crust (or graham cracker crust)
- 6 oz dark chocolate (70% cacao), finely chopped
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream, divided
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 can (21 oz) cherry pie filling
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- Chocolate shavings or cocoa powder, for garnish
Instructions
- Make the ganache layer. Place chopped dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat 1/2 cup of the heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it just begins to simmer. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let sit 2 minutes, then stir until completely smooth and glossy. Pour into the prepared crust and spread evenly. Refrigerate 30 minutes until set.
- Prepare the cherry layer. Stir almond extract into the cherry pie filling. Spoon the cherry mixture evenly over the chilled chocolate layer, spreading gently to the edges. Return to the refrigerator for another 30 minutes.
- Whip the cream topping. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the remaining 1/2 cup heavy cream with the powdered sugar and vanilla extract on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 3—4 minutes.
- Top and chill. Spread or pipe the whipped cream over the cherry layer. For a clean finish, spread it edge to edge; for a more rustic look, dollop it in the center. Garnish with chocolate shavings or a light dusting of cocoa powder.
- Final chill and serve. Refrigerate the assembled pie for at least 1 hour (or up to overnight) before slicing. Serve cold, straight from the fridge. Slice with a sharp knife wiped clean between cuts.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 380 | Protein: 4g | Fat: 22g | Carbs: 44g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 130mg