Chocolate Cream Pie

Chocolate Cream Pie is my personal G.O.A.T. dessert. Humble though it may be, when each layer is done well, it's pure magic. My introduction to this sugary alchemy? None other than K&W Cafeteria, a formerly-delicious small southern restaurant chain that's exactly what it says...a cafeteria that's a restaurant. My mom used to always let me choose a dessert for us to share and you better believe, from the rows of fluorescently lit individual pie slices on little white plates, it was always chocolate cream pie. She’d purposely cut the slice rather unevenly and like a true child, I eagerly took the big piece, never once considering offering her the larger share.

Someday, I’d really like to do a Chocolate Cream Pie showdown and make 4-5 recipes side-by-side, forcing friends and family to come taste a lot of pie. In the meantime, this remains my very favorite version. It’s undergone a lot of tweaks over the years, but it’s seriously delicious and aside from a lot of stirring, is really easy. I hope you love it as much as I do!

Ingredients:

• single pie crust
• 1 egg for egg wash
• 3 large egg yolks, beaten
• 1-1/2 cups (297g) sugar
• 4 Tbsp (36g) cornstarch
• 1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp (48g) cocoa
• 1/2 tsp salt
• optional: 1/2 tsp espresso powder
• 2 cups (454g) whole milk
• 1 cup (227g) heavy cream
• 1 Tbsp unsalted butter, cold
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• whipped cream, for topping

Instructions:

1. Brush pie shell with beaten whole egg and bake, either according to package instructions or recipe. Set aside to cool completely.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, cocoa, salt, and espresso powder, if using. Add the milk and cream, whisking gently until combined.
3. Transfer mixture to a saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring almost continuously, until it just starts to bubble, thicken, and look like pudding (~185°-190°). Remove from heat and immediately add the butter and vanilla, stirring gently until the butter melts.
4. Pour through a mesh strainer into the pie shell (if there’s any extra, just throw it in a small jar). Right away, put a place of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pie – this keeps the filling from forming a skin. Allow it to cool a bit before transferring to the fridge for at least several hours, but ideally overnight.
5. When ready to serve, remove plastic and top with your whipped cream of choice.

Note: The filling is also excellent just as a pudding, so if you aren’t in the mood to deal with pie crust, you can make the filling and let it chill in a bowl. When ready to serve, either portion and top with whipped cream, or even better, layer in jars and serve as parfaits.