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Home » Recipe Type » Tarts & Pies » Italian Chocolate Pie Crust/Pasta Frolla

Italian Chocolate Pie Crust/Pasta Frolla

By: Rosemary Published: September 1, 2022 Updated on: September 4, 2022

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This easy Italian Chocolate Pie Crust or Pasta Frolla is tender and with just the right amount of chocolate taste. Use it to make a crostata, pie, tarts or even cookies. A delicious change from Classic Pie Dough.

Dough in the pie plate with cookie cut outs.

Pasta Frolla or Italian Pastry Dough is made a little different than the traditional Shortcrust most of us are used to making. Shortcrust uses very cold butter and cold water, whereas this crust uses room temperature butter, an egg, a yolk and baking powder. A little different but quite delicious and very adaptable for making pies, tarts to even Cookies.

Table of Contents

  • Recipe Ingredients
  • What is the difference between Pasta Frolla and Pie Dough?
  • Where did Pie originate?
  • How to make it
  • What to make with it
      • Never Miss a Recipe!
  • How to blind bake
  • What is the best type of flour to use
  • How to Store the Pie Dough
  • How to freeze Pie Crust
  • More Pastry Recipes
  • Italian Chocolate Pie Crust/Pasta Frolla
    • Ingredients US CustomaryMetric 1x2x3x
      • *If using unsalted butter then add ¼ teaspoon of salt.
    • Instructions 
    • Notes
    • Nutrition

Recipe Ingredients

  • Flour – all purpose or 00
  • Salt
  • Baking powder
  • Sugar – granulated or fine sugar
  • Cocoa – unsweetened cocoa – dutch processed
  • Eggs – 1 whole and 1 yolk
  • Butter – room temperature

What is the difference between Pasta Frolla and Pie Dough?

The main difference is eggs, Italian pastry crust has butter, an egg, an egg yolk and baking powder. Whereas American pie crust is all butter or a mixture of butter and shortening.

Where did Pie originate?

Pie apparently was invented by the Romans. The first published pie was a “a rye-crusted goat cheese and honey pie”. Sounds interesting.

How to make it

I used a food processor for this recipe but you could use a stand up mixer with the flat beater attachment or even make it by hand.

In a large bowl, mixing bowl or food processor bowl add the flour, salt, baking powder, sugar and sifted cocoa, mix together with a whisk. Add the egg, yolk and butter.

dry ingredients in a food processor and eggs & butter added

Combine with the flat beater, pulsing or with a fork or clean hands until almost combined. Move to a lightly floured flat surface and gently knead a couple of times just to bring it together. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate 30-60 minutes.

pulsed almost until combined, formed dough ball on plastic wrap

Roll the dough either for your pie recipe or add some chocolate chips or even nuts and make some cut out cookies.

What to make with it

With this dough I like to make either a pie crust, cut out cookies,

unbaked cookies and baked cookies on parchment paper cookie sheet

or even tarts

Tart shapes in a muffin tin.
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    How to blind bake

    Roll the chilled dough to approximately 1/8 inch thickness, place the dough in the prepared pie plate or tart plates, trim the dough to fit the pan, flute the edges if desired then prick the bottom a few times with a fork. Cover the pie or tarts with plastic wrap and refrigerate again for 30 minutes (this will solidify the fat, which helps prevent shrinkage).

    Remove the pie crust from the fridge, cover it with parchment paper (scrunch up the paper first then it is easier to spread on the dough), add the dried beans or pie weights on top, make sure they are spread around the pie evenly, bake for approximately 15-17 minutes.

    Remove from the oven, carefully remove the paper and beans, continue to bake for approximately 10-15 minutes. Let cool completely before adding the filling.

    If pre-baking for a fruit filling then bake for only 5-6 minutes. Remove from the oven, remove paper and beans, add the filling and continue baking.

    tarts with parchment paper and ceramic beans for blind baking

    What is the best type of flour to use

    If I want to make cookies with this dough then I use a higher protein all purpose flour with at least 11-12% protein. If I use it for pies or tarts then I use pastry flour or 00 flour which has a protein count of 8-9% protein. The lower protein will give your crust a more tender and flakier crust. The higher protein will keep your cookies from spreading.

    How to Store the Pie Dough

    The pastry dough can be made in advance and kept refrigerated for up to 3 days. Make sure to wrap it tightly with plastic wrap before storing.

    How to freeze Pie Crust

    The dough can also be frozen, wrap in plastic and place in a freezer bag or an air tight container. It will keep in the freezer for about three months.

    The dough should be thawed in the refrigerator, then roll it out as per your recipe instructions.

    So if you are looking for a different pie dough, then I hope you give this Italian Chocolate Pie Crust a try and let me know what you think. Enjoy!

    Dough on a wooden board.

    More Pastry Recipes

    • Italian Savory Pie Crust Recipe
    • Homemade Brown Sugar Pie Crust
    • Easy Homemade Pie Dough
    Dough in the pie plate with cookie cut outs.

    Italian Chocolate Pie Crust/Pasta Frolla

    Rosemary Molloy
    This easy Italian Chocolate Pie Crust or Pasta Frolla is tender and with just the right amount of chocolate taste. Use it to make a pie or even cookies.
    5 from 5 votes
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Chilling Time 30 mins
    Total Time 1 hr 5 mins
    Course Dessert, Snack
    Cuisine Italian
    Servings 2 pie crusts
    Calories 1188 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 2¼ cups all purpose flour
    • 1 pinch salt*
    • ½ teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ cup granulated sugar
    • 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa (sifted)
    • 1 large egg (room temperature)
    • 1 large egg yolk (room temperature)
    • ½ cup +2 tablespoons butter cubed (room temperature) (141 grams total)

    *If using unsalted butter then add ¼ teaspoon of salt.

      Instructions
       

      • In a large bowl, mixing bowl or food processor bowl add the flour, salt, baking powder, sugar and sifted cocoa (it can be sifted directly into the bowl), mix together with a whisk. 
      • Add the egg, yolk and butter, combine with the flat beater, pulsing or with a fork or clean hands until almost combined.
      • Move to a lightly floured flat surface and gently knead a couple of times just to bring it together. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate 30-60 minutes.
      • Roll the dough either for your pie recipe or add some chocolate chips or even nuts and make some cut out cookies, chill the cookies while the oven is pre-heated at 350F (180C) and bake 10-12 minutes. Cool on the cookie sheet. Enjoy!

      Notes

      If I want to make cookies with this dough then I use a higher protein all purpose flour with at least 11-12% protein. If I use it for pies or tarts then I use pastry flour or 00 flour which has a protein count of 8-9% protein. The lower protein will give your crust a more tender and flakier crust. The higher protein will keep your cookies from spreading.
      It might be best to start with 2 cups of flour and adding a tablespoon at a time if needed. Sometimes it depends on the flour and how it absorbs liquids.
      For room temperature ingredients remove from the fridge 45-60 minutes before using.
      To Blind bake the pie dough, roll the chilled dough to approximately 1/8 inch thickness, place the dough in the prepared pie plate or tart plates, trim the dough to fit the pan, flute the edges if desired then prick the bottom a few times with a fork. Cover the pie or tarts with plastic wrap and refrigerate again for 30 minutes (this will solidify the fat, which helps prevent shrinkage).
      Remove the pie crust from the fridge, cover it with parchment paper (scrunch up the paper first then it is easier to spread on the dough), add the dried beans or pie weights on top, make sure they are spread around the pie evenly, bake for approximately 15-17 minutes.
      Remove from the oven, carefully remove the paper and beans, continue to bake for approximately 10-15 minutes. Let cool completely before adding the filling.
      If pre-baking for a fruit filling then bake for only 5-6 minutes. Remove from the oven, remove paper and beans, add the filling and continue baking.
      The pastry dough can be made in advance and kept refrigerated for up to 3 days. Make sure to wrap it tightly with plastic wrap before storing.
      The dough can also be frozen, wrap in plastic and place in a freezer bag or an air tight container. It will keep in the freezer for about three months. The dough should be thawed in the refrigerator, then roll it out as per your recipe instructions.
       
       

      Nutrition

      Calories: 1188kcalCarbohydrates: 161gProtein: 20gFat: 53gSaturated Fat: 31gCholesterol: 307mgSodium: 469mgPotassium: 362mgFiber: 5gSugar: 51gVitamin A: 1676IUCalcium: 109mgIron: 8mg
      Keyword chocolate pie crust, chocolate pie dough, Italian chocolate pastry
      Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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        Chocolate, Desserts, Tarts & Pies

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        1. Alma jo says

          December 21, 2021 at 2:07 am

          Sounds great but what is pastry flour? Is it cake flour? I only see bread flour, cake flour, all purpose flour and self rising flour when I grocery shop. `

          Reply
          • Rosemary says

            December 21, 2021 at 12:54 pm

            Hi Alma, cake flour and pastry flour are the same. Although I did use all purpose for this recipe. Let me know how it goes.

            Reply

        Hi, I'm Rosemary.

        Living in Italy I learned to cook authentic Italian dishes using whole ingredients, fresh veggies and delicious spices. So take a seat and have a taste! Read More

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