Mildred Pierce's Black Bottom Pie

Adapted from a recipe that ran in the Los Angeles Times on November 14, 1932. The local legend is that this pie originated with and was served in the restaurants owned by the original Mildred Pierce, portrayed in the movie starring Joan Crawford. I've heard the same legend regarding the woman who opened the Darling restaurant chain in Rhode Island. I don't know how true the legends are, but it's still a good pie.

• Ready In: 50 mins
• Serves: 10
• Yields: 1 pie

Ingredients

• 1 3⁄4 cups milk
• 3⁄4 cup sugar
• 3  egg yolks
• 3⁄4 cup  ghirardelli  unsweetened cocoa
• 1  tablespoon unflavored gelatin, soaked in
• 1⁄4 cup milk
• 2  cups heavy cream, divided
• 1  tablespoon powdered sugar
• 1 (9 inch)  chocolate crumb crusts
• 2  tablespoons  grated chocolate (to garnish)

Directions

1. Scald the milk in a saucepan.
2. Stir together the sugar and egg yolks in a bowl until smooth. Mix a little of the hot milk with the eggs, then stir the mixture into the milk.
3. Sift the cocoa into a bowl. add a little of the hot milk mixture and stir, then add the cocoa mixture to the milk mixture. cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the liquid coats the back of a wooden spoon, about 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Remove from heat. Stir the gelatin into the hot custard. Place the pan over a bowl of ice. Chill, stirring occasionally, until the custard forms a mound when dropped from a spoon.
5. Whip 1 cup cream until it forms still peaks. Fold into the custard.
6. Fill the pie crust with the custard mixture and refrigerate until set, overnight or several hours.
7. In a small bowl, whip the remaining 1 cup cream. Stir in the powdered sugar. spread evenly over the filling and sprinkle with grated chocolate.