Chocolate Pie

My great-grandmother was famous for this pie. Not a single Thanksgiving or Christmas passed without this as one of the desserts. After numerous years of experimentation, I have finally decoded her notes well enough to do her memory honor when making it, so I thought I would share it. Make your own piecrust or use a storebought one, as you prefer.

• Ready In: 1 hr 5 mins
• Serves: 8
• Yields: 1 pie

Ingredients

• 1 (9 ounce)  deep dish pie shells
• 4 (1 ounce)  unsweetened chocolate squares (Baker's)
• 1  cup sugar, plus
• 4  tablespoons sugar
• 3  tablespoons cornstarch
• 1  tablespoon flour
• 3  eggs
• 2  cups  whole milk
• 1  tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Bake pie crust as directed on wrapper. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine sugar, corn starch, and flour and set aside. Separate eggs and reserve whites in a small metal bowl.
2. Melt chocolate in a large pot over low heat. Pour milk into a microwaveable container and gradually warm it through (30 seconds at time, stirring in between).
3. Add the milk to chocolate and begin heating on high, stirring constantly. Stir yolks thoroughly then gradually add to chocolate and milk mixture. Drizzle the yolks in slowly, in a long thin strand, and stir continuously to help prevent them from clumping up.
4. Slowly add sugar, corn starch and flour mixture to the pot; stir continually. Adjust heat to medium while stirring. Stop stirring when mixture thickens up, and pour into pie crust.
5. Make the meringue in a small metal bowl: Beat egg whites until stiff (little peaks should form when beaters are pulled out of the mixture). A non-metal bowl can be used, but it will take longer and won't be as fluffy (but still delicious!).
6. Add 2 T sugar and beat. Add last 2 T sugar and beat again. Don't overbeat, or the meringue will weep after baking. It should still form nice peaks when beaters are pulled out.
7. Add vanilla extract and mix with a spoon. Spoon meringue onto the top of the pie.
8. Bake until meringue turns brown on top and edges, about 5-10 minutes.