Creamy Chocolate Meringue Pie with Homemade Pie Crust

Ingredients

Pie Crust

• Makes (2) 9" Crusts
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup butter
• 4-5 tablespoons cold water
• Chocolate Cream Pie
• 3 cups milk
• 2 ounces of bittersweet chocolate
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ⅓ cup all purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Meringue

• 3 egg whites
• ½ teaspoon cream of tarter
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar

Garnish

• 1 ounce semisweet chocolate, room temperature

Directions

Pie Crust

1. Measure the flour into a mixing bowl and mix in the salt, add in the shortening or butter.
2. With a pastry blender or two knives, cut in until you have it the consistency of coarse meal.
3. One spoonful at a time, sprinkle with the cold water.
4. Mix lightly with a fork until the dough clings together and cleans easily from the bowl.
5. Separate into two evenly sized flattened balls and chill until you are ready to use.

To Roll Pastry

1. Use a lightly floured surface or a pastry cloth and lightly floured rolling pin.
2. Roll each of the flattened balls.
3. If you only require one for the recipe, then just roll out one and you can freeze the other until you need it wrap.
4. Roll out the crust so it is about 1" larger than the plate you are putting it in.
5. If preparing a pie that requires a top, roll one crust slightly larger and use it for the bottom crust.

To Line The Plate

1. Roll the pastry over your rolling pin and transfer it to the pie plate.
2. Unroll it and ease into place, being careful not to stretch the pastry.
3. Trim off any extra pastry, and freeze, or else use to decorate the top of your pie.

To Bake

1. Flute the edge of the pastry in your favourite way.
2. Prick with at fork at 1" intervals and bake in a preheated oven to 450˚F for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
3. Cool before adding the cooked filling.

Chocolate Cream Pie Filling

1. Scald the milk in a saucepan and add the chocolate to the heated milk and stir until they have melted and are stirred in.
2. In another saucepan combine the sugar, flour and salt. Mix together then gradually add scalded milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened.
3. Cover and cook 2 minutes longer, stirring occasionally.
4. In a heatproof bowl, slightly beat the 3 egg yolks and stir a small amount of the hot mixture into them.
5. Then, blend this mixture back into the remaining hot mixture and cook 1 minute longer, stirring constantly.
6. Remove from heat and blend in the butter and vanilla.
7. Cool to lukewarm and pour into the baked 9-inch pie shell.

The Meringue

1. Preheat the oven to 375˚F
2. Beat together the egg whites and cream of tarter to form stiff but moist peaks. Very gradually add in the sugar and beat until very stiff and shiny.
3. Spread on the lukewarm pie, touching pastry rim all the way around. Swirl points.
4. Bake in preheated oven until the tips become golden brown. About 12 minutes but watch carefully so you do not burn.

Garnish

1. Use a vegetable peeler to ‘peel’ the chocolate, then sprinkle curls onto the cooled meringue.