Dessert: Chocolate Pudding Pie

This pie is a chocolate pudding with a meringue top. It's very rich and very yummy. This is actually two recipes: the chocolate pie and the meringue topping. If you need meringue for another recipe, this is a good one to try. It was my first time making a meringue and it came out great, if I do say so myself.

Chocolate Pudding Pie

Ingredients:

1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter
3 oz. Bittersweet chocolate
1 c. sugar
3 Tbsp. Cornstarch
3 Tbsp. Baking cocoa
1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
1/2 c milk
3 egg yolks, beaten
1tsp. Vanilla extract
1 baked (9”) pie shell

Foolproof Meringue* (see recipe)

Directions:

1. Melt butter and chocolate in a heavy saucepan. 
2. Mix sugar, cornstarch and cocoa in a small bowl. Add to the melted butter and blend well. Measure the 2 cups total of milk (evaporated+homogenized) and stir into chocolate mixture. Stir a small amount of the mixture into the beaten egg yolks; stir egg yolks into mixture. Add vanilla. 
3. Cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Pour into the pie shell. 
4. Spread Foolproof Meringue over the filling, sealing to the edge. 
5. Bake at 450º for 5-7 minutes or until golden brown. 
6. Chill, covered in the refrigerator.

Foolproof Meringue

Ingredients:

6 Tbsp. Sugar
1 Tbsp. Cornstarch
1/2 cup water
1/2 Tbsp. Vanilla extract
3 egg whites
salt to taste

Directions:

1. Combine sugar, cornstarch and water in a small saucepan. 
2. Cook for 5 minutes or until clear and thickened, stirring constantly. Cool slightly. 
3. Add vanilla. Beat egg whites and salt in a mixing bowl until soft peaks form. Add syrup gradually, beating constantly until stiff peaks form.

Other details:

• Serves 8 (but rich enough that could serve 16 no problem) 
• Nutrition is for 8 servings