Chocolate Cream Pie

Total Time: 50 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients

• 1 unbaked pie shell, 9-inch diameter with high-fluted crust (see note below **)
• 2 cups milk, divided
• 1 3/4 cups heavy whipping cream, divided
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 10 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped or 10 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, divided

Recipe

• 1 place oven rack in lower third of oven, and preheat to 400°f.
• 2 prick the dough lightly with a fork. line with a sheet of buttered foil, buttered side down; weigh down the foil with dried beans, rice or pie weights. place the pan on a heavy baking sheet. bake until the sides are set, about 12 minutes. carefully remove the weights and foil. continue to bake, pricking any air bubbles with a fork, until cooked through and lightly golden, 8 to 12 minutes longer. cool the pie shell thoroughly on a wire rack.
• 3 scald 1 1/2 cups milk and 1 cup cream in a heavy nonreactive saucepan over medium heat.
• 4 meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk the remaining 1/2 cup milk with the sugar, eggs and cornstarch until smooth. add a little of the hot milk mixture to the bowl and whisk well. repeat with more hot milk. return the warmed mixture to the saucepan and bring to a boil, whisking.
• 5 boil, whisking constantly, for two minutes. turn off the heat and add the chocolate, butter and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla; continue whisking until the mixture is smooth. strain the custard into a clean bowl. place a sheet of wax paper or plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the custard to prevent a "skin" from forming, and refrigerate until cooled to room temperature.
• 6 pour the custard into the cooled pie shell. loosely cover and chill for at least two hours.
• 7 whip the remaining cream and vanilla until nearly stiff. spread it over the pie with a spatula, swirling attractively. (can add shaved chocolate to top if wanted.) chill until serving.
• 8 **try my all-butter pie crust (all butter pie crust (pastry)). it's easy and goes great with any pie--especially this one!