Home Made Chocolate Cream Pie

You know you're from an Irish family when you hear "Jaysus, Mary and Joseph." I caught myself sounding just like my mother and it scared me.  It's funny the things you swore you wouldn't do when you were a kid, you do as an adult.  I find myself saying a lot of phrases that my parents, grand parents and other relatives use to say and still continue saying. I guess it's ingrained in us if we want it to be or not. I am also hearing my own children and now my grand kids sounding just like me.  It's true about the apple not falling far from the tree. (Smiling).

This is another dessert that is easy to make and it's delicious.  Why use a box when you can make it chemical and preservative free and it's cost effective as well.


What you will need:
9 1/2 Tin or glass pie plate
Medium size sauce pan
Whisk or wooden spoon
Rolling pin
Medium size bowl
Plastic wrap
large zip lock plastic bag


Ingredients for Pudding:
1/4-Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels *Optional, I like a more intense chocolate flavor*
1/4 Teaspoons Salt
2 1/4-Cup whole milk
2-Tablespoons Butter not margarine
2/3-Cup of sugar
1/4-Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
3-Tablespoons Corn Starch
1-Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract


Preheat your oven to 375-Degrees Fahrenheit

Ingredients for Graham Cracker Pie Crust:
6-Tablespoons melted butter
2-Tablespoons sugar
1-Package-sleeve of Graham Crackers, about 11-sheets total.


Directions for Graham Cracker Pie Crust:
Put the Graham Crackers in to a zip lock plastic bag. Seal the bag shut, now roll the rolling pin over the Graham Crackers numerous times until they are crushed and look like small bits of sand.  You can pound the bag with the rolling pin if you are having a bad day. (Smiling)  Take the now Graham Cracker Crumbs out of the zip lock bag and place in to the medium size bowl.  Add in the melted butter and sugar, mix well.  Now put the Graham Cracker mixture in to your pie plate.  Using your hands, spread the Graham Cracker crumbs all over the bottom of the pie plate and then using your fingers, press the mixture firmly up the sides of the plate, try to make this as even as you can, it doesn't have to be perfect.  Tad-ah!  You now have made a pie crust.  Place the crust in to the oven for 15-minutes or until golden brown. Keep an eye on this!  After 15-minutes remove from the oven and set aside on a heat proof surface.


Directions for Chocolate Pudding:
In the sauce pan add sugar, cornstarch, salt and cocoa powder.  Place the sauce pan on your front burner and turn it on medium heat.  Now slowly add in the milk and begin to stir all ingredients together.  Keep stirring constantly, you don't want the mixture to stick or burn on the bottom of the pan. Bring this mixture to a boil for about a minute, continually stirring.  Remove the sauce pan from the burner and add in the vanilla extract and butter.  Stir a few more times to make sure everything is blended well.   Now pour the chocolate pudding in to your pie shell. Cover the pie with plastic wrap, this will help prevent getting a skin of chocolate on top.  Refrigerate for at least and hour. Once cooled top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings or chocolate morsels, optional. Enjoy!

Note:
**I don't have step-by-step photos, I lost them when my computer crashed.  Here is one that I had made for Thanksgiving last year. It was a big hit. The Turkeys and  Home Made Whipped Cream directions are here on my blog. This Chocolate Cream Pie I made with a Pastry Crust.**