Chocolate Chess PIe

This recipe for chocolate chess pie is one of the first pies I learned to make.  I used to make it every time we had spaghetti when Bubba and I were first married and living in Germany.  I made it many, many times and then...I stopped making it for years. I forgot about it.  A couple of weeks ago, I was going through my old recipe books that are, sadly, used more for decoration on my counter rather than a source for recipe ideas.  Now, I just go to the internet and look up a recipe or stumble through food sites gathering ideas.  So, my poor collection of Southern cookbooks sit gathering dust. (Or trying, at least. I dust them often because they are in the kitchen.)  I was so excited to refind this recipe! I have little notes written down in the cookbook, "does NOT make deep dish," and "DOUBLE." I doubled the recipe, per instruction, and made a deep dish chocolate chess pie. 

You will need:

2 squares unsweetened chocolate
1 cup butter
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 deep dish unbaked pie crust*

*I only use homemade pie crusts now. I used to buy those refrigerated ones, but then starting making my own (as I always did years ago before the refrigerated ones were available) and wow.  Just wow. The difference!! I use this recipe.  It is absolute perfection. It also gives me an excuse to get the vodka out of the freezer.)

Preheat your oven to 325°

In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and chocolate.  (Make sure the butter is warmed first or is room temperature when you add it or the chocolate will seize.) 

While it cools, beat the eggs.

Then add the sugar.

Slowly pour in the cooled chocolate and butter mix and then add vanilla.

Pour it all into your unbaked pie crust and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the center is set.  You don't need to place this pie on a cookie sheet because it will not spill over.  (Also, placing it directly onto the oven rack will allow the bottom crust to cook thoroughly.)

It makes a nice, crackly crust on top and leaves the middle gooey and rich.  And soooooooo delicious.

You could add fresh whipped cream (not Chemical Whip) or ice cream, but why paint the peacock?  This pie is fabulous all by its lonesome.

Enjoy!!

Chocolate Fudge Pie

Picture it: you are all ready to start making dinner when your husband calls and says that he is craving pizza and is going to pick up some on the way home. You could argue, but you love pizza and embrace the idea. But now you aren't making dinner and have all this pent-up cooking/baking energy. You'll need a dessert to go with that pizza and this chocolate fudge pie is just the ticket! It's easy to make, quick, and you don't have to let it cool completely before eating--in fact, it's best if you don't since ice cream doesn't melt on cool pie. :)

You will need:

1 baked pie crust
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup flour (white whole wheat)
3T cocoa powder
1/2 cup (one stick) Smart Balance, softened
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

(for some reason the eggs didn't make it into the picture)



(To bake a pie crust, put it into the pie tin and poke it with holes. I use a fork. Make sure you really cover it with holes so that it doesn't puff up on you. If it does puff up, don't panic, just push it back down while it's still hot--it will crack up a little, but that's not a big deal. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes or until lightly browned.)


Put all the ingredients into a mixer bowl...



and beat until thoroughly combined.



Pour into the baked pie crust and bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes.





That's it! I told you it was easy. By the time hubby gets home with the pizza the pie will be coming out of the oven. Top it with ice cream, fresh whipped cream (no chemical whip), or just eat it plain (my favorite). Tink loved this pie. Adored it, wants to learn how to make it so that she can "make it every day" for the rest of her life. And she has a small sweet tooth! That's how good this pie tastes.



The top gets a great crust just like a brownie and the filling is thick, rich, and fudgy. It tastes like you put a lot of work into it, so make sure everyone knows that you slaved all day over it. :)



Enjoy!