Chocolate Cream Pie

Chocolate Cream Pie

Ingredients

Crust

7 ounces chocolate wafer cookies (about 32 small cookies)

2 tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons milk

Filling

2/3 cup granulated sugar

¼ cup cornstarch

Pinch of salt

2 ½ cups milk

2 large eggs

4 ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate

Topping

½ cup whipping cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate curls for garnish (see Tip)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-inch pie pan with cooking spray.

To prepare crust: Process chocolate wafers in a food processor until finely ground. Add melted butter and milk; pulse until combined. Using your hands, press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of 9-inch pie pan. Bake for 12 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack.

To prepare filling: Combine sugar, cornstarch and salt in a large saucepan. Whisk milk and eggs in a medium bowl, then whisk into the sugar mixture. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until bubbles begin to form around the edges. Cook, stirring vigorously, for 2 minutes more. Strain through a sieve into a large bowl. Whisk in chocolate until completely melted.

Pour the filling into the crust. Refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours.

To prepare topping & decorate pie: Just before serving, beat cream and vanilla in a bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Smooth any lines on the pie’s surface with the back of a spoon. Spoon or pipe (with a pastry bag) 10 dollops of whipped cream around the edge of the pie. (You can also use a ready whipping cream spray can). Garnish with chocolate curls or with grated chocolate (as in my case).

For chocolate curls: soften a block of bittersweet or semisweet chocolate just a tad: microwave on 20% power (Low) in 15-second bursts until just barely softened, not warm. Use a vegetable peeler to shave the chocolate into curls.