Chocolate Cream Pie

With Valentines Day and Easter soon approaching, I wanted to share one of our family’s favorite chocolate pie recipe.

Ingredients:

Crust* (See helpful hints for alternatives):

• 40 graham crackers (10 full cracker sheets)

• 2 Tablespoons sugar (coconut sugar is also a good replacement for sugar)

• 2 Tablespoons butter, softened

• 1 large egg (Substitute - I use 1 flax egg: 1 Tablespoon ground flax plus 3 Tablespoons water or milk)

Filling:

• 2 cups almond, oat or soy milk (can use fat free milk also) - divided

• 2/3 cup sugar (Substitute - I substitute 1/2 cup maple syrup)

• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa

• 3 Tablespoons cornstarch

• 1/8 teaspoon salt

• 1 large egg (Substitute - I use 1 flax egg: 1 Tablespoon ground flax plus 3 Tablespoons water or milk)

• 2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• Whipped Cream or a dairy free whipped cream for topping - optional

• 3/4 teaspoon grated chocolate for garnish - optional

Directions:

Step 1 - Preheat oven to 350°.

Step 2 - To prepare crust, place crackers in a food processor; pulse until crumbly. Add sugar, butter, and egg (or alternative egg); pulse 6 times or just until moist. Press crumb mixture into a 9-inch pie plate coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 8 minutes; cool on a wire rack 15 minutes.

Step 3 To prepare filling, combine 1/2 cup milk, 2/3 cup sugar, and next 4 ingredients (2/3 cup sugar through egg) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk.

Step 4 Heat 1 1/2 cups milk in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat to 180° or until tiny bubbles form around edge (do not boil). Remove from heat. Gradually add hot milk to sugar mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. Return milk mixture to pan. Add chopped chocolate; cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly (about 5 minutes), stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Pour into prepared crust; cover surface of filling with plastic wrap. Chill 3 hours or until cold. Remove plastic wrap; spread whipped topping evenly over filling. Sprinkle with grated chocolate.

Helpful Hints - Use any crust you prefer! My daughter makes this pie often with a store bought gluten-free crust and I have made it many times with a traditional pie crust, as pictured below. The substitutes I have given you will make a delicious chocolate-cream pie without the guilt. All versions are simply delicious.

Adapted from the recipe in Cooking Light Magazine, November 1999.

Cheers!

Liz