Delicious Chocolate Cream Pie

The chocolate cream pie is not too rich or too sweet and the whipped filling manages the taste so well. It suits any occasion.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder
• 4 teaspoons white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup shortening, chilled and cut up
• 1 cup chopped chocolate you can use dark chocolate if preferred
• 2 tablespoons softened butter
• 3 cups milk
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 4 egg yolks
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3/4 cup whipped cream
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
• Chocolate curls, grated chocolate

How to Make

Crust:
Step 1. To make the crust, combine flour, 2 tbsp cocoa powder, 4 ½ teaspoons of sugar and salt in a bowl. Using a pastry blender, mix the ingredients until it resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle 1 tbsp of water over part of the mixture. Toss it and continue adding water, 1 tbsp at a time, to moisten the dough

Step 2. Make balls of dough and roll each ball into a disk, roughly into a 12-inch circle. Ease each circle into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim pastry to ½ -inch beyond the edge of the pie plate and fold extra crust and crimp as desired. Prick the bottom and sides of the pastry with a fork.

Step 3. Line crust with a double layer of foil and bake in 220 degrees celcius for 10 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 8 minutes or more or until set and dry. Remove from the oven and cool completely.

Filling:
Step 1.  Place chipped chocolate and butter in a medium bowl and set aside. Heat milk in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat until steam rises from surface – do not let this boil

Step 2. In a separate medium mixing bowl, whisk together ⅔ cup sugar, the egg yolks, cornstarch and 2tbsp cocoa powder until you get a thick mixture. Slowly whisk 2 cups of the hot milk into the egg mixture then add the egg mixture back into the saucepan. Bring it to boil and cook for 30 seconds or more.

Step 3. Pour over chipped chocolate and butter and let it stand for 3 minutes. Add vanilla and whisk until chocolate and butter and melted and until the mixtures becomes smooth. Pour into cooled crust then cover the pie with cling wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Step 4. When you are ready to serve, prepare topping in a large mixing bowl, beating cream, sour cream and powdered sugar using an electric mixer on medium speed, until stiff peaks form. Spread over pie and top with chocolate curls.