Dad's Favorite Chocolate Pie
Submitted by gold28073
Old-fashioned chocolate cream pie with a silky stovetop cocoa custard and a high-piled toasted meringue. The Sunday-supper dessert dads have been requesting since the 1950s.
YIELD
12 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
15 minREADY
3 hrsThis is the chocolate pie that lives in the back of every grandmother’s recipe box, the kind that gets requested by dad for every birthday and Father’s Day. The filling is a proper from-scratch chocolate custard cooked on the stovetop with cocoa powder, cornstarch and egg yolks, finished with butter and vanilla. The meringue top is the classic golden-peaked crown.
Using both cornstarch and flour in the filling is the trick that gives this pie its specific texture. Cornstarch alone makes a filling that’s clear and slightly bouncy; flour alone makes one that’s opaque and pudding-like. The combination produces a filling that slices cleanly but still has a silky, creamy mouthfeel. Don’t substitute one for both.
Tempering the egg yolks is non-negotiable. Pouring a small amount of hot chocolate mixture over the beaten yolks first brings their temperature up gradually, preventing them from scrambling when added to the rest of the hot filling. Skip the temper and you get specks of cooked egg throughout the chocolate.
Cream of tartar in the meringue stabilizes the egg whites and keeps them from deflating during the bake. A quarter teaspoon is enough; more and you can taste a slight tang in the meringue. Adding the sugar one tablespoon at a time is what builds the proper stiff peaks and the glossy, smooth texture that holds shape in the oven.
Pro Tips
- Spread the meringue all the way to the crust edges, sealing it against the filling. Gaps allow the meringue to shrink and weep.
- The meringue should completely cover the filling. Exposed filling weeps clear syrup.
- Bake the meringue immediately after spreading. Sitting whipped egg whites deflate fast.
- Cool the pie at room temperature, never in the fridge first. Cold cracks the meringue.
Variations
- Use Dutch-process cocoa for a darker, more sophisticated chocolate flavor.
- Substitute graham cracker or chocolate cookie crust for a different base.
- Add 1 teaspoon of espresso powder to the filling for a mocha-style version.
- Top with a dollop of whipped cream and shaved chocolate instead of meringue for an easier finish.
Ingredients
Directions
In small mixing bowl, put sugar, cornstarch, salt, cocoa, and flour, mix well. Slowly add some of boiling water to dry sugar mixture. Mix well until smooth. Add this mixture to rest of boiling water. Return to stove and cook until thick.
Remove from stove. Pour a small amount of this mixture over well beaten egg yolks. Add egg mixture to balance mixture in pan and cook about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add butter and vanilla. Mix well. Pour into prepared baked pie shell.
Meringue:
Beat egg whites until foamy, add salt and cream of tartar. Continue beating until fairly stiff. Add sugar, one tablespoon at a time.
Arrange meringue on pie and bake at 350℉ (180℃) for 15 minutes, or until nicely browned.
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