Tuesday, July 20, 2010

A Pie a Week - Who likes chocolate?

This weekend Our Son put in a request - he wanted a chocolate pie. Well. Who doesn't?

I decided to make a chocolate cream pie. The filling for chocolate cream pie is chocolate pudding, which is made with egg yolks. I am irrationally disturbed if I have to separate eggs and don't have a use for the other part of them. So instead of the classic whipped cream topping for chocolate cream pie, I decided to follow Ken Haedrich's recipe (from his book, "Pie: 300 Tried and True Recipes for Delicious Homemade Pie") and make Chocolate Cream Pie with Cinnamon Meringue topping.

First, a pre-baked crust. I didn't mess around, I used the Gordon Hammersly recipe that had worked so well for me before. If you don't feel up to the challenge, you can use a store-bought graham-cracker crust, or a store-bought pie shell - pre-bake it according to the instructions. (But the Hammersly recipe is so easy and so worth the effort you really should try!)


The filling is cooked in a saucepan over the stove. You mix milk, egg yolks, sugar, corn starch, vanillla and chocolate. I had Scharffenberger Bittersweet Chocolate in my cupboard, so I used that. I added just a drop or two of some strong French roast coffee. After 7 or 8 minutes of cooking, the pudding thickens and you pour it into the pre-baked shell.


Then you whip egg whites until they hold soft peaks. Add a 1/4 teaspoon of Cream of Tartar, and a 1/4 cup of sugar mixed with two teaspoons of cinnamon, and beat until stiff peaks form.

Spread on top of the filling, pop into a 350 oven, and bake for about 10 minutes, or until the meringue colors soft golden brown.


Oh, delicious! Who wants chocolate?

11 comments:

MAYBELLINE said...

Mercy!
How can you stay so slim?

smalltownme said...

Oh, yum!

CaShThoMa said...

I've been waiting on you to get to my favorite...chocolate. Yum. May I have a piece? Right now, please?

M. Bouffant said...

Your son owes you one for baking in this weather.

Beck said...

This pie looks fabulous!!! I'm gonna try it!

Pumpkin Delight (Kimberly) said...

you're so good at these. ya know, i don't live too far away, so if you need a taste tester, you let me know. :)

cactus petunia said...

Wow! You've inspired me to try my hand at pie crusts again...

Anonymous said...

I'm too late for leftovers, aren't I? *sigh*

Anonymous said...

Okay, I was feeling all proud of myself because I lit my new oven w/o my husbands help and managed a cobbler...it's not chocolate pie, not even close, and I REEEEEEEALLY want one now. Any left?

SUEB0B said...

Pick me, pick me.

Jenn @ Juggling Life said...

Me, me, me!

I will be in L.A. next week for a water polo tournament--schedule is up in the air, but if it works out I'd love to see you.