#BakingBloggers ~ Chocolate Cream Pie

Welcome to November's #BakingBloggers! Sue of Palatable Pastime and Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm have brought together some of their blogger friends to create #BakingBloggers - every month we have a general theme (such as pies, muffins, cakes, etc.) and we get to share any recipe we'd like! This month we are sharing some ideas for Holiday Pies with you.

We are pretty traditional around the holidays - Thanksgiving requires a pumpkin pie, and you'll find a couple of those recipes on my blog already. Last year we branched out into Chocolate Cream Pie territory - and will never go back. It was the first pie to be demolished, and leftovers went home with a couple different people. It is deliciously creamy, and decadently different.

This pie requires only a little time in the oven (to set the crust) - the rest is all stove top (can you say HELLO gorgeous to that creamy custard)!! Then it needs a good long chill in the refrigerator. Top with whipped cream just before you're ready to serve and you will have a show stopper that's sure to please!

I used a mix of bittersweet and unsweetened chocolate for my pie. The Ghirardelli bars in the baking aisle come in 4-oz packages, so I bought one of each and used 4-oz unsweetened and 3-oz bittersweet.

Baking Bloggers

Holiday Pies

• Amazing Apple Pie by Simply Inspired Meals
• Blueberry Mini Pies by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Butternut & Apple Galette by Sid's Sea Palm Cooking
• Chicken and Spinach Quiche by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Chocolate Cream Pie by Making Miracles
• Kate's Perfect Plum Pie by Food Lust People Love
• Lemon Meringue Tart by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Mixed Vegetable Pie With Shortcrust Pastry by Recipe Pocket
• Pear Ginger Pie by Cookaholic Wife
• Pecan Streusel Pumpkin Pie by Palatable Pastime
• Sour Cream Pear Pie by Pandemonium Noshery
• Spinach and Chicken Quiche by Sneha's Recipe

Chocolate Cream Pie from Once Upon A Chef

Ingredients

Crust
1 1/2 cups finely crushed chocolate graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large egg yolks
3 cups whole milk
7 ounces bittersweet / unsweetened chocolate chopped (such as Ghirardelli)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping
1 cup chilled heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Combine the crust ingredients in a small bowl and stir with a spatula until mixture feels like wet sand and the butter is evenly distributed.
3. Press mixture into the bottom of a pie plate, and a little bit up the sides (not too far). Press firmly.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool while you prep the filling.
5. For the filling, combine the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan and whisk to combine. In a bowl, combine the milk with the egg yolks and whisk together until smooth. Blend the egg / milk mixture into the saucepan and ensure it is evenly combined / whisked together BEFORE turning on the heat. Turn heat to medium. Stir frequently with the whisk and watch for the consistency to thicken, and the edges to begin to bubble. When the mixture coat the back of a spoon, it is ready. Do not allow mixture to stick to the bottom of the pan. 
6. Remove from heat and stir in the 2 TBS butter, vanilla extract, and the chopped chocolate. Whisk together until completely blended in, creamy and smooth.
7. Pour custard into the pre-baked pie crust.
8. Press a sheet of saran-wrap over the top (allow wrap to touch the custard, and loosely gather around the outside edges of the pie plate. Refrigerate minimum of 8 hours.
9. When you are ready to serve, prepare the whipped topping by whipping the heavy cream with the powdered sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer until it reaches your preferred thickness (some might like soft peaks, others may prefer stiff peaks).
10. Spread the whipped cream gently over chilled pie, and top with grated chocolate if you would like!