Old Fashioned Cooking with Darlene – Chocolate Cream Pie

This recipe for Chocolate Cream Pie is from an old Hershey’s Chocolate Cookbook, published in 1971 as a reprint of the 1934 original version. When I found the Peanut Butter Crust recipe in a Companies Coming Cookbook, I knew these two recipes were meant to go together! Lets start with the crust…

Peanut Butter Crust
1 cup All Purpose Flour
2 tsp Granulated Sugar
1⁄4 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Salt
1⁄4 cup Butter or Margarine
1⁄4 cup Smooth Peanut Butter
2 tbsp Water

Combine first six ingredients in mixing bowl. Beat on low speed until crumbly. Add water. Work into a ball with hands. Roll out on lightly floured surface. Line 9 inch pie plate. Flute edge. Prick all over with tines of fork. Bake in 400° F {200° C} oven for eight to ten minutes. Yield: 1 pie shell.

Chocolate Cream Pie
2 ½ cups of Milk
3 squares (3 oz) of Hershey’s Baking Chocolate (Melted)
2 tablespoons of Flour
3 tablespoons of Cornstarch
1 cup Granulated Sugar
½ teaspoon of Salt
4 Egg Yolks (slightly beaten)
2 tablespoons of Butter
1 ½ teaspoon of Vanilla
9 inch Baked Pie Shell – or Peanut Butter Crust recipe below
4 Egg Whites
½ teaspoon of Cream of Tartar
½ cup of Granulated Sugar

Scald 2 cups of milk with melted baking chocolate in top of double boiler over simmering water, stirring until smooth.
Sift flour, cornstarch, 1 cup of sugar and salt. Mix with remaining ½ cupful of milk. Add to chocolate mixture, stirring constantly, until thickened. Cook 10 minutes longer.

Remove from fire; gradually add some of chocolate mixture to beaten egg yolks and return to double boiler. Cook 2 minutes longer, stirring occasionally. Remove from fire; add butter and vanilla. Pour into baked pie shell. Cover with meringue made by beating egg whites with cream of tartar until frothy. Gradually add ½ cupful of sugar – a tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff. Brown in hot oven for 425°F for 5 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Chill and serve cool.

Baking Chocolate Tips: If you can’t find Hersheys brand use whatever is available. Just check the package to determine the size of square needed for each ounce. Cocoa may be used in place of baking chocolate – 3 Tblsp plus 1 Tblsp shortening equals 1 ounce of baking chocolate. Do not substitute chocolate baking chips or milk chocolate (candy bar) for baking chocolate in recipes.

Darlene Jardine has worked as a chef most of her life and used to operate Darlene’s Tea House in Blackville. She has since turned it into a quaint cottage for rent in the summer, and she still loves to cook. www.DarlenesCountryCottage.com

 

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