Chocolate Cream Pie

Do you know that I have made dozen of Chocolate Cream and Coconut Cream Pies over the years...and I don't think that I have made one for myself! I like both pies, and will happily make them for someone else...but I guess I just prefer other sweets. Oh wait...I am not supposed to eat sweets! Well everyone, y'all just keep quite...a bite here and there never hurt anyone!

Tomorrow is my Daddy's 59th birthday. And my Daddy has got to be the easiest person ever to buy a gift for. He loves to read as much as I do....so I typically by him the latest best seller and make him something for his tummy. He is the one that comes up with all the really cool stuff that I know how to make. You know homemade fried pies, egg rolls, wheat bread.... Of course he is diabetic so I have to watch the sweets with him! He just loves it when I find sugar free recipes for him...but I would rather use the real stuff!

My Bear even got in on helping with Grandpa's birthday this year...and with some parental encouragement decided the perfect gift was homemade bookmarks for Grandpa's new book! I hope that he is pleased! I just love doing for my men folk!

To make my Chocolate Cream Pie you have to start with a really good pie crust! My Grandmother Edna's Egg Pastry has always served me well! I have found some other really good pastry recipes...but they can get complicated and as long as you treat this one gently it remains flaky and pretty!

Egg Pastry

3 cups sifted flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup shortening
1 egg- beaten
1 tsp. vinegar
1/2 cup cold water

Sift flour and salt together. Cut in shortening until a fine crumb. Combine remaining ingredients and gradually add to flour mixture. Mix until dough holds it's shape. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Makes 3 to 4 crust.  (just so you know I make my crust in the food processor now...I follow the same steps...just use a different method to mix everything up!)

Divide your dough into thirds. Roll 1/3 into a circle big enough to cover a 8 or 9" pie plate. Gently place pie crust in plate. Form your edges. Take a fork and poke hole generously on sides and bottom of crust. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely.

Chocolate Cream Pie

1 cup sugar
3 tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups milk
2 1-oz. squares of chocolate
3 slightly beaten egg yolks
2 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. vanilla

Combine sugar, salt and cornstarch in sauce pan. Gradually add milk. Chop chocolate and stir into milk mixture. Cook over medium heat until bubbly. Stirring continuously. Cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

Pour a small amount of hot mixture into your egg yolks. Stir, then add to remaining hot mixture. (this is an important step that you don't want to skip....if you don't temper your egg yolks you could cook them too quickly and have scrambled eggs in your pie instead of your nice creamy filling!)Return to heat and stir while cooking an additional 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add butter and vanilla. Stir until butter is melted. Pour into pre cooked pie shell. Cover with waxed paper while you make you meringue. (also an important step....this will quickly form a skin while it cools...you want this to be as hot as possible when you place the meringue on top so that it will help to cook ...the skin will prevent your meringue from adhering to the filling!)

Meringue

3 egg whites
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. cream of tarter
1/2 cup sugar

Beat egg whites with vanilla and cream of tarter till soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, beating till stiff and glossy. Spread over hot filling, sealing edges of pastry. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden. Now by my own research...and through trial and error, I have found that meringue make better if you egg whites are at room temperature.

Now my Egg Pastry recipe is one of those heirloom recipes...but my Chocolate Cream Pie and Meringue recipes came straight out of the Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book. I find when I want just a basic recipe...or someplace to start from that this is an excellent choice.

I was really in a baking mood tonight....so I used the leftover pie crust to make my darling Tool Man some mini apple pies that he loves!

Mini Apple Pies

Just because I love him and he is such a wonderful hubby...I have to spoil him every once in a while....or it could be I didn't want the pie crusts to go to waste and I had some apple pie filling in the pantry that I picked up for $.99 each. Or it could be that I wanted to keep him out of MY Chocolate cake....he loves cake...hates icing...so he scrapes off the icing and eats all the cake!

My Chocolate Cake with Cream cheese Icing!

Oh well I will let you come to your own conclusions!
Happy Cooking!
God Bless,
Mama D