From Julie & Julia (2009)
Chocolate Cream Pie
Reconstructed
Serve when
Serve it on the bad-day scene — when Julie needs comfort more than dinner and there's a whole chocolate cream pie standing between her and the world.
In the movie
Theatrical
- Julie's comfort dessert — a chocolate cream pie she turns to on a hard day, the film's shorthand for cooking as self-soothing before the Julia project gives it a larger purpose.
Ingredients
Steps
- Whisk the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a saucepan. Whisk in the milk and egg yolks until smooth.
- Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens and just comes to a boil, about 6–8 minutes.
- Off the heat, whisk in the chopped chocolate, butter, and vanilla until glossy and smooth.
- Pour into the baked shell, press plastic wrap onto the surface, and chill until set, at least 4 hours.
- Top with softly whipped cream. Cut a generous slice; the film suggests you may want the whole thing.
In the movie
Not every dish in the film is aspirational French technique. Sometimes it's just a chocolate cream pie and a rough day — Julie reaching for the kitchen the way other people reach for the couch. It's the counterweight that keeps the movie honest: cooking as comfort first, art second.