Sunday, August 24, 2008

Grandma's Chocolate Pie Recipe

I am updating today to fix a step where the butter goes in!

I am highlighting my family's Chocolate Pie recipe in honor of grandparent's day. I have added photos and more details to help you make this the way we do in our family. Please feel free to email your comments, suggestions, and photos to me and I will share them with our readers.

This chocolate pie recipe has been handed down on my father's side for at least 4 generations. His family is from eastern North Carolina, so all the food that comes from there is very yummy, very Southern, and not very diet. Keep this in mind as you prepare. (Also, keep in mind that you really have to stir the pudding while on the stove for a longgggg time before it starts to gel). We serve it in our family every Thanksgiving and Christmas. It is not a holiday without this pie.

The recipe uses a hand mixer to do the "mixing" part.

I call it Maw Maw's Chocolate Pie (we called our grandma - "Maw-Maw" ). So here's Grandma Maw Maw's pie recipe:

Makes 2 Pies

Preheat oven to 400 degrees to prebake the pie shells, drop to 350 degrees to cook the pie meringue.

4 small packages of Jello Brand Pudding & pie filling - chocolate
2 Pet Ritz Bake and Fill Pie Shells (regular size) or any other bake and fill regular pie shells
2 Tablespoons Real Cocoa - unsweetened
2Tablespoons Sugar
2 Cans of Carnation Evaporated Milk
4 Large or Jumbo Egg Yolks. Separate carefully and reserve the whites for meringue (may want extra egg whites to make taller meringue) Eggs should be at room temperature.
1Tablespoon Real Vanilla
1Tablespoon Butter
Pinch of Table Salt

Prick the unbaked pie shells all over with a fork. Pre-bake the pie shells until light brown. Set aside on a cookie sheet.


Beat egg yolks for a minute with mixer.

Add the balance of ingredients, except butter, and mix with mixer until well blended.



Pour into a large saucepan, add the butter, and then stir by hand constantly over medium heat, approximately ten minutes until it starts to boil.



Reduce heat to low and continue to stir, it will be slightly lumpy when you take it off the burner.



Remove from heat, continue to beat it by hand to smooth it out, then immediately pour into the pre-baked crusts, dividing evenly.


Set pies aside. Set your oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare meringue by beating egg whites until peaks start to form, adding ¼ cup sugar a little at a time as you are beating at high speed(4 to 5 egg whites) using mixer.





Feel free to double the amount of meringue if you want it to be thick on top of the pie. Divide your meringue mixture to top the two pies and cover the filling completely.



Set the pies on a cookie sheet. Place in the oven and bake at 350 degrees until the meringue is browned.



May be served warm or chilled. I think it is much better chilled. ;)

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

When do you put the butter in? It sounds good and I'd like to try it for thanksgiving, but I don't want to mess it up.

Stacey063 said...

Thanks for catching that! You add the butter when you place it all in the saucepan to stir it. The butter will melt in and cook with the pie filling in the pan. I am going to update the post now to state this.

LaQuita Hobbs said...

Hello,

Is it possible to prepare and bake this without the meringue? How would the recipe change, if at all, if I don't want meringue on top?

Thanks!

Stacey063 said...

LaQuita - you simply would end your recipe by filling the pie shell and not baking it a second time. The pudding filling will set up - no need. You could do whipped cream or no topping. I am a meringue fan though myself