Killer Chocolate Pie
(from the Reedy River Baptist Church Cookbook, June 1987)
Recipe of Mrs. Ruth B. Stepp
3 egg yolks
2 cups of sugar (I use 1 1/2)
5 large tbsps. of Hershey's Cocoa (or other brand)
4 tbsps. of corn starch
1 stick of butter/margarine (melted)
1 large (12 oz.) can of Evaporated Milk, plus an additional 1/2 cup of water.
2 tbsps of vanilla extract
1 large pie shell (bake to manufacturer's or recipe specifications)
Beat egg yolks with evaporated milk (plus the water). Add extract and melted butter. Mix with all dry ingredients. Cook in a double boiler until thick (i.e, over boiling water! If you don't have a double boiler, STIR the mixture constantly until it gets thick. Don't let it stick to pan or burn). Pour into baked pie shell.
Meringue: Beat egg whites until they stand in a soft peak. Add 2 tbsps. of sugar and beat whites until they form stiff peaks. Put on top of pie. Make sure you seal the edges of meringue to crust. Brown meringue in your oven (I use broiler setting but use baking mode, too, to cook the meringue a bit longer than it takes under a broiler.)
I use less sugar than the recipe calls for because this pie is wicked rich! If you like a bit of "bittersweet" every now and again, 1 cup of sugar will probably be perfect.
This recipe makes the best chocolate pie that has ever passed my lips. And that's a LOT of chocolate pies!
