Looking for ooey, gooey? Try Achatz pie a slice

Special to The Detroit News
Judith Harris Solomon
Whatever happened to chocolate cream pie? Today, in most restaurants and bakeries, it seems to have been replaced by something called French silk pie.
What's the difference? Well, according to Jules Doss, head baker at Achatz Pie Co. in Troy, both have chocolate bases but "the chocolate cream is more like a pudding whereas the French silk is more like a mousse and it's very rich."
And according to our panelists, French silk pie is also super delicious.
"You can really tell the difference between cream pies and these," says Kathy Ryan.
"The chocolate in the French silk is much denser. If I were a prisoner on death row, this would be part of my last meal," Ryan says
Adds Lesia Golden: "It's so very smooth. It just glides down my throat. The chocolate flavor is very potent ? I almost feel like I'm sitting here eating fudge."
Jackie Fox says her family likes to serve French silk pies during the holidays.
"We like ooey, gooey desserts rather than the traditional pumpkin pie. It's not creamy enough. After all, it's just made from a vegetable," Fox says.
The panel tasted six different French silk pies. The one from Achatz Pie Co. was their favorite but most of the others also scored very well.
In a blind sampling, The Detroit News Taste Panel rated the following French silk pies on taste, texture and appearance on a score of 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent).
1. Achatz Pie Co . French Silk Pie (Troy, Oxford and Armada)
Average score: 4.8
Price: $14.95 per 10-inch pie
Comments: Perfection! The crust is flaky, the chocolate is smooth and creamy and the whipped cream is delicious. What a glorious combination of flavors! Needs no chewing ? it just slides down. So very smooth. Rich, sinful and heavenly.
2. Sweet &amp Savory Bake Shop French Silk Pie (9 S. Washington, Oxford, 248-628-4210)
Average score: 4.6
Price: $12.99 per 10-inch pie
Comments: There's gourmet chocolate in this one and it's out of this world. Pure, genuine chocolate flavor. Rich, dark chocolate but not as sweet as the others. The crust has a wonderful buttery flavor. Great crust.
3. (TIE) Big Boy Restaurant &amp Bake Shop French Silk Pie (multiple locations)
Average score: 4.4
Price: $8.99 per 9-inch pie
Comments: Great flaky crust. Good crust that stands up well to the chocolate. Sweet with lots of filling. Very silky and satiny. Tastes like a good pudding filling. To me, it tastes like Jell-O pudding.
3. (TIE) Kroger Private Selection French Silk Pie (multiple locations)
Average score: 4.4
Price: $6.99 per 9-inch pie
Comments: Nice appearance. Buttery crust, smooth chocolate and mounds of whipped cream. Great chocolate flavor. The crust is very good and flaky. A little sweeter than the others.
5. Baker's Square French Silk Pie (multiple locations)
Average score: 4.0
Price: $9.59 per 9-inch pie
Comments: This one has the best crust ? thick and tasty. Chocolate has nice flavor but it's not as dense as the others. More of a pudding than a mousse. Filling is a bit sour. Doesn't taste like real chocolate.
6. Meijer Frozen French Silk Pie (multiple locations)
Average score: $3.8
Price: $8.99 per 9-inch pie
Comments: The filling was too thin and the whipped cream was not too fresh. Not as dense as the others and not as chocolatey or silky. Tastes more like commercial custard than mousse.

Smooth, sexy, silky: Our panelists loved these rich chocolate pies.
Guest panelist Tom Chlebek is a barber who lives in Brownstown Township.