It’s as easy as adding sugar and cocoa to your pastry dough, but the result has a major wow factor for both looks and taste.

Using chocolate pie dough adds a colorful, delicious, and unexpected element to your favorite pie. Below is a super-simple recipe for a buttery, flaky chocolate pie dough. Best of all, it functions the same as most butter-based pie doughs and can be par-baked, blind-baked, or fully baked with filling inside.

Give it a try; the chocolate lovers in your life will thank you.

Super-Simple Chocolate Pie Dough

Yield: Makes one 9-inch deep-dish pie shell

Ingredients

– 2 cups all-purpose flour

– 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

– 3 tablespoons granulated sugar

– 6 ounces unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes

– 1/3 cup brewed coffee, cold

Instructions

Combine flour, cocoa powder, and sugar in a large bowl; whisk to incorporate.

Add the butter, then using your fingertips or a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse meal.

Slowly add the cold coffee in thirds, stirring with a wooden spoon after each addition. Continue stirring until a soft dough has formed.

Gather with your hands and knead slightly, then mold into a circular disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes (or up to two days).

Remove dough from refrigerator and let rest for 5 minutes. Roll out on a floured surface and transfer to 9-inch deep-dish pie pan. Trim crust overhang, then fold and crimp the edges. Return to refrigerator for 20 minutes before filling and/or baking.

Cook’s note: If baking chocolate dough for longer than 30 minutes, use a crust cover after 30 minutes of baking to prevent burning.

This article was first published on the MarthaStewart.com Network on March 31, 2014.