Chocolate Cream Pie-the first pie of many!

Hello Everyone!

Today, even though it is Good Friday we are going to have Chocolate Cream Pie for desert! Fish with a lemon, butter sauce will be the main course.  And of course fresh baked bread!! I am looking forward to this meal-hopefully all will turn out well. Recently I bought "the complete Magnolia Bakery cookbook" and so today I tried the Chocolate Pudding Pie Recipe found on page 187. This recipe did not call for egg yolks, which I ended up adding because the pudding just would not get thick without. I hope everyone is enjoying a pleasant weekend-see you all tomorrow for Pink Saturday!

Chocolate Pudding Pie

Crust

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted                       1/3 cups cornstarch

2 cups graham cracker crumbs                        1/8 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sugar                                          4 cups milk

Filling                                                              1 oz semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 1/3 cups sugar                                               1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

To make the crust: In a small bowl, combine the butter with the graham cracker crumbs and the sugar. Press firmly into a lightly buttered 9" glass pie dish. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool on rack.

Meanwhile, prepare the pudding: In a medium-size saucepan, mix the sugar, the cocoa powder, the cornstarch and the salt. Add half the milk and whisk until the mixture is smooth. Add the remaining milk and continue whisking, over medium heat, until pudding thickens and comes to a boil, about 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and add the chocolate and the vanilla, stirring until chocolate melts completely. Pour immediately into prepared crust. Cool for 20 minutes on wire rack and the refrigerate uncovered for at least 2 hours until chilled. Serve with sweetened whipped cream if desired.