Chocolate Cream Pie with Meringue
Submitted by kimquirk
Chocolate cream pie with a cocoa custard filling topped with golden meringue. A from-scratch chocolate pudding pie with egg yolk custard and billowy egg white topping.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
20 minREADY
6 hrsA rich cocoa custard cooked on the stovetop, poured into a baked pie shell, then crowned with a fluffy meringue that gets a quick trip under the oven heat until golden. This is classic American diner pie made from scratch.
The custard base is a proper stovetop pudding: sugar, flour, cocoa, and salt cooked with milk until thickened, then tempered with beaten egg yolks for richness. The tempering step (mixing hot liquid into the yolks before adding them to the pot) prevents the yolks from scrambling on contact.
Half a cup of butter stirred in after cooking adds a silky richness that puts this ahead of most chocolate cream pies. The vanilla goes in last to preserve its flavor.
Pour the custard into the shell while warm, then top with meringue immediately and seal it to the crust edges. Sealing prevents the meringue from shrinking and pulling away during baking.
Chef Tips
- Beat egg whites with cream of tartar until stiff peaks form. Soft peaks collapse in the oven and give you a flat, weeping meringue.
- Spread the meringue over warm filling, not cold. Warm filling helps cook the bottom of the meringue from below, preventing a raw, slippery layer between filling and topping.
- Seal the meringue to the crust edge all the way around. Gaps let steam escape and cause shrinkage.
- Chill for several hours before slicing. The filling needs time to set fully for clean cuts.
Variations
- Whipped cream topping: Skip the meringue and top with sweetened whipped cream for a simpler, no-bake finish.
- Chocolate cookie crust: Use a crushed chocolate cookie crust instead of pastry for double chocolate impact.
Ingredients
Directions
Combine sugar, flour, cocoa and salt in medium saucepan; stir in milk.
Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture boils; remove from heat.
Stir half of the mixture into beaten egg yolks; return mixture to sauce pan.
Continue cooking and stirring over medium heat until mixture boils; boil and stir for 1 minute.
Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla.
Cool for 10 minutes, pour into pie shell.
Heat oven to 350℉ (180℃).
Meanwhile, prepare meringue topping:
In a small mixer bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy.
Gradually add sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
Spread this on warm pie filling, carefully sealing to the edges of crust.
Bake 5 to 8 minutes, or just until meringue is lightly browned.
Cool to room temperature; chill for several hours.
Refrigerate leftovers.
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