Classic Chocolate Cream Pie

With its foolproof crust and easy custard filling, this pie is a breeze to put together, and a good place to start if you’re a novice baker. Instead of rolling out dough, you press a ground-cookie mixture into a pie plate and bake for ten minutes or so. The chocolate filling is a cinch, as are the cream topping and chocolate garnish. The only hard part is waiting for the pie to chill thoroughly, preferably overnight, before savoring the end result. Because of the cornstarch, the filling sets up quite nicely and slices well; nevertheless, if you prefer something with a firmer texture, you can add gelatin (see step 3, below).

Makes One 9-Inch Pie

Ingredients for the Crust:
• 25 chocolate wafers (6 ounces), or 1½ cups wafer-cookie crumbs
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar Pinch of salt

Ingredients for the Filling:
• 2½ cups milk
• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate (preferably 61 percent cacao), chopped
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon unflavored powdered gelatin (optional)
• 2 tablespoons cold water (optional)
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Ingredients for the Topping:
• 1 cup heavy cream
• ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar
• Chocolate curls, for garnish

Preparation:
1. Make the crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. In a food processor, pulse wafers until fine crumbs form. Add butter, sugar, and salt, and process until combined. Press mixture firmly into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch pie dish. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes. Bake until crust is fragrant, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

2. Make the filling: In a medium saucepan, heat milk and chocolate over medium-high, whisking occasionally, until chocolate is melted. In a small bowl, whisk together granulated sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Add 1 cup of milk mixture and whisk until smooth. Return mixture to saucepan; whisk to combine. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until bubbling and thick, 4 to 5 minutes (about 2 minutes after it comes to a boil).

3. If using gelatin, sprinkle 1 teaspoon over the 2 tablespoons cold water in a small bowl; let stand until softened, about 5 minutes. In a medium bowl, whisk egg yolks. Slowly whisk hot milk mixture into yolks. Return mixture to saucepan, and continue cooking custard over medium heat, stirring constantly, until custard is thick and bubbles appear in center, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add softened gelatin, if using, and whisk until dissolved. Stir in vanilla. Let cool about 10 minutes, whisking 2 or 3 times.

4. Pour custard into baked and cooled crust. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly on surface of custard. Refrigerate until filling is firm, 4 hours or up to 1 day.

5. Make the topping: With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, whisk cream just until soft peaks form. Add confectioners’ sugar and whisk until stiff peaks form. Spread whipped cream over custard. Garnish pie with chocolate curls just before serving.

This Classic recipe was published in 'Martha Stewart's New Pies and Tarts: 150 Recipes for Old-Fashioned and Modern Favorites by Martha Stewart Living Magazine - p'.