Chocolate Cream Pie

Ingredients:

Crust

• 6 Tbs butter
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/2 package Oreo cookies crushed or chopped in food processor

Filling

• 3 1/2 cups half-and-half
• 8 Tbs butter, cut into chunks
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 9 egg yolks
• 8 oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
• 3 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Topping

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 Tbs sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions:

• Make the Crust:  melting the butter, whisk in the brown sugar until dissolved.  In a large bowl, add the melted butter mixture to the crushed cookie crumbs.  Stir well to combine.  Pour the mixture into a pie plat, and press the crumb mixture evenly around the bottom and sides of the pie plate (I use the bottom of a small glass to press the crumbs).
• Pop the crust into the fridge for about 20 minutes to chill. Then bake in a 350-degree oven for 10-15 minutes, until set. remove from oven and set aside to cool.
• Make the chocolate cream filling:  Put the half-and-half in a 3-quart pot, set it on the stove over medium-high heat until it just starts to bubble (keep a good eye on it so it doesn’t scorch). While it’s heating, combine the sugar and cornstarch in a large, heat-proof bowl.  Add the egg yolks to the sugar/cornstarch mixture, whisk until combined.
• Pour the hot half-and-half into the egg yolk mixture in a thin stream to temper the eggs.  Keep pouring, whisking constantly, until you’ve added all the hot half-and-half, then pour the hot mixture back into the pot.
• Set the pot back on the stove over medium heat and whisk constantly until it thickens.  when you have a good pudding consistency, remove from heat and add the butter and chocolate.  Whisk until the chocolate is completely melted and incorporated.  When you’re done, you’ll have what looks like a big pot of hot chocolate pudding. Add the vanilla and whisk to incorporate.
• Set a mesh strainer over a large bowl. Pour the mixture through the strainer. (This is to catch any bits of egg that may have solidified.)  Press a piece of plastic wrap to the top of the mixture (right down to the surface to prevent a film from forming on top of the pudding) while it’s hot.  Pop the filling into the fridge for about 4 hours, or until chilled throughout. As it cools, it will thicken up.
• Assemble the chocolate cream pie:  when the filling is chilled, yank it out of the fridge. Peel off the plastic wrap. Stir the filling until smooth. Pour the filling into your prepared crust. Smooth it down into a nice dome with a rubber spatula.
• Whip the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla together until nice and thick. You want the whipped cream to hold a stiff peak. Gently scoop the whipped cream onto the chocolate filling. Smooth the whipped cream down so that it completely covers the chocolate filling.
• Pop into the fridge until you’re ready to serve.