BEST PIE RECIPE EVER (For the Holidays or ANY day!)

Thanksgiving is just the kick-off to the eating extravaganza that is the holiday season.  I'm about to share my mom's amazing recipe for Chocolate Cream Pie.  It is the BEST....PIE...EVER!   "Sure", you say, "but what makes it different?"  WELL, unlike other pies I've sampled, the chocolate is dense and rich, instead of light and fluffy. It is our absolute family favorite, and I guarantee it will be yours!

So, here's the recipe (complete with pictures)

Chocolate Cream Pie
Ingredients:

• 1 refrigerated pie crust
• 4 eggs, separated (save both yolks and whites)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 12 oz bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 carton of heavy whipping cream

Bake pie crust in 8 or 9 inch glass pie plate (either one can work).  Put a small amount of flour in pie plate to lightly coat it (this is very important).  Then, put pie crust in pie plate.  Prick sides and bottom of crust with fork.  Follow directions on crust package, but don't bake more than 9 minutes.  When crust is cool, begin to make the filling.  With a hand mixer, whip yolks and sugar in a large bowl.  Add the vanilla by hand.  Melt chocolate chips in a saucepan over medium heat, then add that by hand to yolks/sugar mixture.  Beat egg whites until stiff (with hand mixer), then add that to other mixture (and mix with hand mixer).  Pour into cooked pie crust.  Cool on table.  Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.  Beat cream into whipped cream with mixer (add 1 tsp vanilla extract).  Spread on top of pie.  If desired, add chocolate shavings to the top.  This year, I used the grating attachment on my food processor and dumped in the chocolate chips.  It turned out great!


And now... for the pictures (I'm sorry there's no taste-o-vision on this blog).....

Here's the pie crust after I took it out of the oven.  It make it easier to handle, I baked it on a baking pan.

And, here's the pie after the chocolate filling is added (and the bowls have been licked by any willing kids (or adults) in the house!)

While you're mixing the whipped cream, make sure to wait until it gets nice and stiff!

And here's the finished product!!  Good for the holidays, or ANYTIME!  :)  Let me know how it turns out!