The mesmerizing blue hue of Nuka-Cola Quantum is truly remarkable, so we put it on top of a pie.
In the episode
Kevin built the crust by blending walnuts with 20 ounces of milk's favorite cookie. The blender did not cooperate, there was a wooden spoon involved (don't do this at home), and the butter step turned into what he called a nightmare process. Still, butter, Oreos and walnuts tasted pretty great straight off the spoon.
Next came the chocolate pudding, tempering the yolks with hot chocolate a cup at a time. Since we couldn't wait overnight, we accelerated time with a salt ice bath. The Quantum topping was hand-whipped with lemon and orange extract and enough dye to make it properly blue.
At the tasting it was really good, but the citrus extracts gave the icing a tang that makes you pretty sure you're getting some rads. One of us wasn't sold on the icing, while the other loved the unexpected depth. Underneath it's rich dark chocolate, not too sweet: very wastelanding.
Chocolate Pudding Pie with Citrus Whipped Cream
Mississippi Quantum Pie
A rich chocolate pudding pie in an Oreo-walnut crust, crowned with glowing blue citrus whipped cream inspired by Nuka-Cola Quantum.
Ingredients
10 servings
Crust
- 20 oz chocolate creme sandwich cookies, such as Oreos
- 2/3 cup walnuts
- 5 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
Chocolate pudding
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
- 5 egg yolks
- 1 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 cup for the yolks, 3/4 cup for the milk
- 5 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 1/2 cups milk
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, 1/2 stick
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Quantum whipped cream
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 tsp lemon extract
- 1/2 tsp orange extract
- 20 drops neon blue food dye
- 3 tbsp powdered sugar
Instructions
Crust
Heat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan and line the bottom with parchment.
Blend or pulse the walnuts and cookies into fine crumbs, then add the melted butter and pulse until it holds together.
Press the crumbs over the bottom and about halfway up the sides of the pan. Bake for 10 minutes and let cool.
Chocolate pudding
In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks, cream, 1/4 cup of the sugar and the cornstarch until well combined.
In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, whisk the milk, remaining 3/4 cup sugar, cocoa and salt until dissolved.
Add the chocolate chips and heat, whisking constantly, until melted and just below a boil.
Whisk 1 cup of the hot chocolate mixture into the yolks, then a second cup, so the eggs warm gently.
Pour the yolk mixture back into the pan and whisk until thick.
Take it off the heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla.
Pour the pudding into the crust, cover and refrigerate overnight.
Topping
Just before serving, whip the cream, extracts, powdered sugar and food dye to stiff peaks and spread over the pie.
Notes
Make it a day ahead: the pudding needs the overnight chill to set.
Adapted from Fallout: The Vault Dweller's Official Cookbook by Victoria Rosenthal (Insight Editions, 2018).
