Hot Cocoa Cream Pie

Are there really words to go with that picture of chocolate cream pi?. There ought to be about 3 minutes of uninterrupted silence to really pay homage to such a pie.

I can't wait that long. Sorry. Lisa, the same one who sent the picture of the bread ( Lisa's Bread! )...asked me a while back about this chocolate pie. I make it out of dry hot cocoa mix that we get at our church's cannery. It can also be made with chocolate milk, but I love how rich and evil-creamy it tastes made from the dry milk powder...and I'm really picky. In Arizona, we can use hot cocoa about 3 weeks out of the year, so what do I do with all the rest of my mix?...I put it in my pie hole. I thought it was high time to post the actual blog entry so Lisa would stop calling me! Do you blame her?!

Hot Cocoa Cream Pie

2 9 inch prepared pie crusts (Here's my Pie crust recipe.)

Filling:
2 cups cannery hot cocoa mix (you can use any hot cocoa mix you want...measured 2 cups non sugar free)...sugar free, use enough to make 6 cups of cocoa...cool?
1 cup flour
1/2 cup butter
6 cups water
1 tsp double strength vanilla
1 tsp micro plane grated orange zest
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (of your choice...oh dear...peanut butter chips would be good huh?)

Directions: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a pie pan with pastry dough or use the frozen ones, I don't care. I'm not eating your pie...wait that came out wrong. I didn't mean I wouldn't eat your pie if you used frozen ones. I would eat any pie any day of the week. Please refrain from any words of wisdom about my dairy-air.

Prick a couple holes in the crust with a fork all over to help it bake up really crispy. I don't even tolerate soggy pie crust. Yikes. Ask me how I keep it crispy with cream filling.

Ask me. I mean it...don't forget to ask me.

Bake it for 12-14 minutes until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and set aside. Turn down your oven to "warm".

Now...for the filling.
Combine the cocoa mix and the flour in a 3 quart sauce pan. Turn the stove on to medium heat. With a whisk, slowly add the water 2 cups at a time being sure to whisk vigorously. When it's combined add the butter to melt while the mixture thickens. If you're smart, you'll find a little cutie to whisk for you so you can take pictures for your blog. Look out for band-aids...


I sense a young Evil Genius in training. Yes. Yes I do think this grin says it all. Welcome to the Evil Think Tank. This is my son Face (that may not be the name we gave him in the hospital, but it is the one that has stuck to my food blog).

This cooked filling will need to be stirred constantly so it doesn't scorch (15-20 minutes). My son didn't mind. I'm really a good mom and stood there the whole time. It did start to bubble pretty well near the end so I took him off the counter. Just so nobody calls CPS. Now, be sure to remove the pan from the burner completely. Add the vanilla, orange zest and nutmeg. The filling needs to cool a bit. So...let's look at that crust.

Thank you for remembering to ask how I keep my crust from getting soggy. It's chocolate. I've said it before and I'll say it again...chocolate could cause world peace. I may be confused as to how to spell peace. Is it Piece of pie or peace of pie? I do know the answer. I'm sure my High School English teacher would be proud. Will the rest of you at least try to look impressed?!

This will impress anyone...right?

Divide the chocolate chips between the two pie crusts. Put those pie crusts back into the warm oven for 2-3 minutes and then spread out the chocolate like this...

I know it's painful to watch:

That chocolate barrier will act like a fat brown parka and keep the moisture from getting that flaky crust all mushy and nasty. Oh I do love a crispy crust. Did I mention that already? So, let it cool about 15 minutes. I wish I had chocolate galoshes to go with that semi-sweet parka. I would have worn it to the prom. Whoa. I think I just figured out why I never got asked to prom!

I think I also may have been pretty intimidating to the boys with a my bow staff skills. Not to mention my wicked chocolate shaving skills... (this picture is going on Tara's kitchen wall..next to the shadow box of cocoa beans).

Pour the slightly cooled filling into the pie crusts. Chill in the fridge about 30 minutes. Top with shaved chocolate.

I happen to adore it with coconut.

Here's what it looks like cooled and sliced. Very rich. Very evil. Try not to eat the whole thing in one sitting.

There you go.