Miss Aimee B's Chocolate Strawberry Pie

This is an easy, wonderful tasting pie that has excellent presentation. Everyone raves when I make this pie! Miss Aimee B's is a local tea room that serves delicious desserts and this recipe came from one of their cook books. I am posting the recipe as given to me by a friend. I don't make the crust as it describes. Instead, I purchase a ready made oreo pie crust and then there's no baking involved. And it is much easier that way. But this is a delicious pie!!! Just remember that you must chill the filling in the pie crust for at least 8 hours. Just make it the night before, add strawberries and you're done!

• Ready In: 20 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 1  cup  Oreo cookie crumbs
• 3  tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1⁄3 cup butter, melted
• 1  cup  semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
• 1⁄4 cup  packed brown sugar
• 1  teaspoon vanilla
• 12  ounces Cool Whip, thawed in refrigerator (very important)
• 1  quart fresh strawberries
• 1⁄2 inch  paraffin wax (I skip this also) (optional)
• 1⁄4 cup  semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. To make crust: combine cookie crumbs, 3 T sugar and melted butter.
3. Press onto bottom and sides of a lightly greased 9 inch deep dish pie pan.
4. Bake in oven for 10 minutes, cool.
5. To make filling: Melt chocolate chips in the top of a double boiler, cool slightly.
6. Beat cream cheese until light and fluffy with electric mixer.
7. Add brown sugar and vanilla, mixing well.
8. Add chocolate to cream cheese mixture, mixing well.
9. Fold in the cool whip and mix again.
10. Spoon filling into cooled crust (or ready made chocolate crust) and smooth out top.
11. Cover tightly and chill at least 8 hours.
12. To finish the pie, wash strawberries, pat dry, and cut lenghtwise into 1/8 inch slices.
13. Arrange around the outside edge of pie, make a second row, overlapping.
14. Continue in this fashion until the entire pie has been covered.
15. Heat the 1/4 cup chocolate chips with the paraffin (or without paraffin).
16. Drizzle over the strawberries.
17. Chill and serve the same day.