When I was growing up, every year on my dad’s birthday, my mom would make him a chocolate pie. This is the recipe he grew up eating, way before my mom came along. When my now-fiance and I visited home in June, we celebrated my dad’s 60th birthday with a chocolate pie, as we always do. It was great to be with my mom in the kitchen for this nostalgic recipe.

Pie Crust

Enough for 5 pie crusts.

Ingredients

4c Unsifted Flour
1T Sugar
2t Salt
1 3/4c Crisco
1T White Vinegar
1 Large Egg

Instructions

Put first three ingredients in a bowl and mix with a fork.
Add Crisco & mix until crumbly.
In a small bowl, beat 1/2c water, vinegar and egg until combined.
Combine egg mixture with Crisco mixture.
Divide dough into five portions, wrap in plastic wrap & chill for at least 30 minutes or until needed.
Roll out a portion of the dough until 10″ in diameter.
Place in pie dish, pressing to form to bowl. Poke with fork.
Bake at 425 degrees for 5 minutes.

Chocolate Pie Filling

For a 10" pie.

Ingredients

2 1/4c Milk
1 1/3c Sugar
1/2c Flour
4T Cocoa
3 Egg Yolks, beaten
2/3t Salt
1 1/2t Vanilla
3T Butter
1/2t Grated Lemon Rind

Instructions

Into a large bowl, sift flour, cocoa, sugar & salt.
Bring milk slowly to a boil, and slowly stir in the flour mixture.
Add beaten egg yolks & cook for one more minute, until thick.
Add vanilla, butter & lemon until combined.
Pour thickened mixture into baked pie shell & let cool.
Make meringue (see below).
Carefully pour meringue into pie filling.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10 – 15 minutes.