Chocolate meringue pie
Use a store-bought pie shell, pre-baked according to directions, or make your own.
Ingredients
For the chocolate filling...
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
4 large egg yolks
1 cup sugar
6 tablespoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon salt
3 ½ cups milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into bits and softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
For the meringue topping...
4 egg whites
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
1/8 teaspoon salt
½ cup sugar
Directions
Make the chocolate filling
- In the top of a double-boiler, or in a metal bowl set over a pot of barely simmering water, melt the bittersweet and unsweetened chocolates, stirring, until smooth. Remove from the heat.
- In a bowl, beat the egg yolks.
- In a medium, heavy saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt.
- Add the milk in a stream, whisking constantly. Bring the mixture to a boil, whisking constantly to keep lumps from forming. Remove from the heat.
- Add 1 cup of the hot milk mixture to the yolks and whisk until smooth.
- Add the beaten yolk mixture to the saucepan with the hot milk and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Simmer, whisking constantly, until thick and smooth, about 3 minutes.
- Remove yolk/milk mixture from the heat and whisk in the melted chocolate, butter, and vanilla. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing down on the surface to prevent a skin from forming, and cool completely.
- Pour the filling into the crust and refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours or overnight.
Make the meringue
- In a large non-reactive bowl using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar and salt until soft peaks start to form.
- Slowly add the sugar while beating and continue to beat until glossy and stiff peaks form. (Be careful not to overbeat, as it will be difficult to spread.)
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- Spread the meringue over the chocolate pie, smoothing out to the pastry edges (so the meringue won't draw up during baking). With a dull knife, make decorative peaks in the meringue. Bake until meringue is golden, about 14 to 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 2 hours in refrigerator.
- Sprinkle with grated chocolate, and serve.