Chocolate Cream Pie

We gave up traveling for Thanksgiving the year I was pregnant with Jake, Tim prefers Stovetop stuffing, jarred gravy and canned cranberry sauce, so basically I can go all out for desserts.    I let them each pick (Tiramisu for Tim and pumpkin pie for Jake, reviews to follow) and I wanted chocolate pie.   

Mom's chocolate pie consisted of cook n serve pudding poured into a graham crust and then served with cool whip.     Carol mentioned she was making a chocolate pie and told me that it was super easy to put together and that I'd never go back to pudding pie again.   She is absolutely right! 

The flavor and consistency of this pie is wonderful, and though I made it in a graham crust this time, I would love it even more in a blind baked pastry crust.    As an homage to my mom, I did not put the plastic wrap on the surface, I actually like the "skin" that forms on the top.  

I had some Kahlua sweetened whipped cream left over from the tiramisu that I used on mine, but Jake's got Reddi whip. Thank you Carol!   

Chocolate Cream Pie

Yield: 8

Author: Jolene's Recipe Journal

Ingredients

• 1 (9") baked pie shell (or graham cracker crust)
• 1 1/2 c. sugar
• 1/3 c. cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3 c. milk
• 4 egg yolks, slightly beaten
• 2 (1 oz. each) squares unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• Sweetened whipped cream and chocolate shavings, optional

Instructions

1. In a saucepan, blend sugar, cornstarch and salt. Stir milk into egg yolks; slowly stir milk mixture into dry ingredients. Add chocolate. 
2. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until mixture thickens and boils and chocolate melts (I start with a whisk, then end stirring with a wooden spoon). Boil and stir for 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.
3. Immediately pour into baked pie shell; press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto hot filling to prevent a skin from forming over the pudding. 
4. Chill pie thoroughly before serving. Just before serving, remove plastic wrap from filling. Top with sweetened whipped cream and chocolate shavings, if desired.

Notes

Source: Betty Crocker's Pie and Pastry cookbook

Other recipes you may enjoy:

Toll House Chocolate Chip Pie

Classic Key Lime Pie