Chocolate Midnight Madness

Before you raise an eyebrow at the mayonnaise, hear this out.

Mayo is just eggs and oil, and in this pie it does exactly what those ingredients would do anyway: make the filling impossibly creamy and smooth without any extra fuss.

Melted semisweet chocolate chips get beaten into softened cream cheese and sugar, poured into a store-bought chocolate crumb crust, and baked for half an hour.

After a four-hour chill, you’ve got a dense, fudgy chocolate cheesecake pie that took less time to assemble than it takes to decide what to order for takeout.

Kitchen Tips

• Use full-fat mayonnaise, not light or fat-free. The reduced versions contain starches and fillers that change the texture of the filling.
• Melt the chocolate chips gently in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between each. Overheated chocolate seizes up and turns grainy.
• The pie will look slightly soft in the center when it comes out of the oven. That’s exactly right. It sets firm as it chills.
• Top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings before serving if you want to dress it up for company.