By June 2028. Olivia took the D.C. position. She called on a Sunday evening and said it was the right thing and she'd decided and she was happy and also she would miss Utah so much she was already planning her first trip home. I said: go. Make the most of it. Come home when you can. She said, "I'll be back for Thanksgiving." I said, "Of course you will." She said, "And for the next big thing, whatever it is." I said, "I'll make sure there's always a next big thing."
Strawberry rhubarb pie. June ritual. I make it alone now. I've made it alone for several years. It's still the ritual. The ritual doesn't require an audience or a collaborator. The ritual is just the act, repeated annually, the hands knowing the lattice, the smell of it baking telling you what month it is even if you've lost track. Some things are their own calendar.
The channel is at 680,000 subscribers. The third book is nine months old and still circulating. The fourth book is ninety pages. Gary's hair has more gray than brown now, which I noticed this spring and which I find deeply attractive in a way I'm not sure I can explain. We've been together long enough that the changes in each other register as evidence of time, and time is good, time is the accumulated proof of a life. Gray hair is years. I love the years. I love him for having them with me.
June has its strawberry rhubarb, and the holidays have this—a pie so layered and deliberate it demands the same kind of quiet attention I bring to every annual ritual I keep. After the phone call with Olivia, after the bittersweet mix of pride and missing someone before they’ve even gone, I wanted to make something that felt like evidence: of care, of time, of a life that keeps building even as it keeps changing. Chocolate Caramel Hazelnut Pie is exactly that kind of recipe—unhurried, generous, and worth every accumulated minute.
Chocolate Caramel Hazelnut Pie
Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes + chilling | Servings: 10
Ingredients
- 1 pre-baked 9-inch deep-dish pie crust
- 1 cup whole hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 1/2 cup heavy cream, room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup heavy cream (for ganache)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (for ganache)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Flaky sea salt, for finishing
Instructions
- Toast the hazelnuts. Spread hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet and toast in a 350°F oven for 10–12 minutes, until fragrant and skins begin to crack. Wrap in a clean towel and rub to remove loose skins. Roughly chop and set aside.
- Make the caramel. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, cook the granulated sugar, stirring occasionally, until it melts and turns a deep amber color, about 10–12 minutes. Remove from heat and carefully whisk in the 6 tablespoons of butter until melted. Slowly pour in the 1/2 cup heavy cream (it will bubble vigorously) and whisk until smooth. Stir in the fine sea salt.
- Layer the hazelnuts and caramel. Scatter the toasted hazelnuts evenly across the bottom of the pre-baked pie crust. Pour the warm caramel over the hazelnuts, spreading gently to fill the crust. Refrigerate for 20 minutes until the caramel is just set.
- Make the chocolate ganache. Heat the 3/4 cup heavy cream and 2 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until just simmering. Remove from heat and pour over the chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl. Let sit 2 minutes, then stir until smooth and glossy. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Top and chill. Pour the ganache evenly over the set caramel layer. Smooth the top with an offset spatula. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until the ganache is fully set.
- Finish and serve. Before serving, sprinkle lightly with flaky sea salt. Slice with a sharp knife warmed under hot water and wiped dry between cuts. Serve at cool room temperature for the best texture.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 480 | Protein: 5g | Fat: 32g | Carbs: 45g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 210mg