Homemade Chocolate Cream Pie

First, the crust...

I make my own and you can find that recipe here... and then I cut the big dough ball into 4 equal pieces (I use deep dish pie pans) or you can cut it into five equal wedges if you use normal pie pans or 8" pie pans...

Or you can make a cookie crust or use a packaged crust. Whatever works for you and your family is fine by me.

Rumors that I am a crust-snob are GREATLY EXAGGERATED, aren't they, Missy Tippens?????

:)

So you need one 9" pie crust, ready to go.

Chocolate filling:

4 Tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1 2/3 Cup sugar
1/2 cup corn starch
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 cup Hershey's Cocoa
4 cups milk
4 egg yolks
3 teaspoons vanilla

(These are all normal ingredients, like Really Normal, nothing earth-shattering here!)

Melt butter in 3 or 4 quart saucepan. Remove from heat

Mix all dry ingredients together. Add to butter. Stir until butter is blended throughout.

Add Milk and egg yolks. Whisk in. Return to heat and cook over medium-medium high heat until pudding is thick and bubbling, stirring regularly and then constantly once pudding is thickening. Cook about 1/2 minute while bubbling.

Remove from heat. Add vanilla. Whisk in. Cover hot pudding with plastic wrap pressed against the hot surface if you want to avoid "skin"... although I love to eat that "skin" so call me and I'll come to your house and eat it for you.

I'm nice that way.

Chill pudding completely. Make sure pie crust is cool. Spoon pudding into pie crust.

Top with whipped cream.

WHIPPED CREAM:
2 cups whipping cream
1/2 cup sugar

Put into large mixing bowl... beat at high speed until stiff peaks form. Spoon and spread on chocolate pudding filling deliciousness...

Garnish with mini-chips, chocolate shavings or dust with cocoa. (My sifter has a hole in it, so dusting is not an option right now!)

And that's it!

I'm in Nashville today, after having a wonderful time at the Christian Fiction Reader's Retreat yesterday... but this was my handmade personal birthday treat last weekend, andit was just as good as it looks! I had a piece Sunday... and possibly a piece on Monday, too!

And in the space of time when you take a gallon of water out to the side porch, THIS HAPPENS:

A born storyteller, with Grammy's wild hair...

Oh my stars! Morgan!!!!

:)

Ruth Logan Herne loves life, God, her family, country, chocolate, dogs and coffee... she lives on a small farm in upstate New York and loves to get dirty outside because flowers Don't Talk Back!

Find her on facebook at Ruth Logan Herne or stop by her website! With over a million books sold, Ruthy is living her dream... and still has to pinch herself to make sure it's real!