Chocolate Cream Pie

A rich chocolate-custard is the filling in this delicious pie that's perfect for summer.

• Ready In: 40 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• Crust

• 2  cups  vanilla wafer crumbs
• 6  tablespoons butter, melted
• 1⁄3 cup sugar

• Filling

• 9  ounces  best-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 2⁄3 cup sugar
• 1⁄2 cup cornstarch
• 3⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 6  large  egg yolks
• 4 1⁄2 cups milk
• 3  tablespoons butter, cut into bits and softened
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1  cup  well-chilled  whipping cream
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons sugar
•  grated bittersweet chocolate (to garnish)

Directions

1. Make crust: Preheat oven to 350°F In a bowl stir together crumbs, butter and sugar and press on bottom and up side of a 10 inch pie plate.
2. Bake crust in middle of oven until crisp, 15-20 minutes.
3. Cool completely.
4. Make filling: In a metal bowl set over barely simmering water melt chocolate, stirring, until smooth and remove bowl from heat.
5. In a saucepan, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, salt and egg yolks until combined well and add milk in a stream, whisking.
6. Bring milk mixture to a boil over moderate heat, whisking, and simmer, whisking, until thick, about 1 minute.
7. Force custard through a fine sieve into a bowl and whisk in melted chocolate, butter and vanilla until smooth.
8. Cover surface of filling with plastic wrap to prevent skin from forming and cool completely.
9. Pour filling into crust and chill pie, covered, at least 6 hours or overnight.
10. In a bowl, beat cream to soft peaks.
11. Beat in sugar and continue beating cream to stiff peaks.
12. Spoon whipped cream decoratively onto pie and sprinkle with grated chocolate.