Chocolate Chess Pie

This lovely recipe was in my Family Fun magazine 2009 issue. I had company in town this past weekend (always a good reason to make a guilty pleasure dessert, right? :)) This pie was quick and easy to make and it actually tastes as good as it looks!

Ingredients:

Your favorite 9-inch deep dish piecrust (buy or make your own)

1/2 C (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

4 oz bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 1/4 C sugar

1 TBS fine yellow cornmeal

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cinnamon

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1 large egg yolk

1/4 C milk

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream (optional)

Directions:

1. Prepare your pie crust & preheat oven to 325 degrees

2. Put the butter in the top of a double-boiler set over, but not in, slow-simmering water OR place a heat-safe glass or metal bowl in a similarly sized pot (I don't have a double boiler so I tried this second method & it worked well). Scatter the chocolate over the butter without mixing and let it stand until the chocolate and butter have melted, about 6 minutes. Whisk the chocolate mixture until it's smooth, then remove it from the heat and set it aside for 10 minutes to cool.

3. In a large bowl, use your hands to combine the sugar, cornmeal, salt, and cinnamon. In another bowl, lightly beat together the eggs & yolk. Add them to the sugar mixture, along with the milk and vanilla extract, and whisk together until they're evenly blended. Then whisk in the chocolate mixture until smooth & pour the filling into the piecrust.

4. Place the pie on the center oven rack & bake it for 35 minutes. Rotate it 180 degrees, then continue to bake until it puffs up and forms a thin crusty layer, about 20 minutes more. Transfer the pie to a wire rack to cool for at least 1 1/2 hours. Serve it slightly warm or at room temperature, with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, if you like. (I made homemade whipped cream--so easy, use a mixer to blend 1/4C sugar with 1/2 pint of heavy whipping cream--mix it until fluffy...yum!!)

Enjoy!

Fresh Peach Pie

* From the Southern Living Annual Recipes Cookbook, 20th anniversary edition*

1 9-inch baked pastry shell
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 T brandy (I substituted with apple juice/cider...although the brandy would make it taste really good)
6 large fresh peaches, peeled & sliced
3 T lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup whipping cream
3 T powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla

* Beat butter at medium speed with a mixer until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar and brandy/juice. Beating well. Spread in bottom of pastry shell. Chill.
* Combine peaches, lemon juice, and 1/4 cup sugar. Cover & chill.
* Beat whipping cream at high speed until foamy. Gradually add in powdered sugar and vanilla. Beating until soft peaks form. Cover & chill.
* Drain peaches. Arrange over butter mixture. Dollop whipped cream mixture over peaches (I spread it out all over and covered the peaches). Serve immediately.

Note: Assemble this pie at the last minute and the crust will stay crisp and not soggy.