1 Pie shell, 9″; baked
1/2 c Cocoa, Dutch process
-unsweetened
1/4 c Cornstarch
1 1/2 c Sugar
1/4 ts Salt
3 Egg; separated
2 c Milk
2 ts Vanilla (not extract)
2 tb Butter
MERINGUE
3 Egg white
1/4 ts Salt
1 ts Vanilla (not extract)
1/4 ts Cream of tartar
1 ts Baking powder
2/3 c Sugar
Pie: Combine dry ingredients in a medium saucepan and stir to mix
thor- oughly before you add liquids. Now add egg yolks (save the
whites for the meringue) and milk and whisk until there are
absolutely no lumps. Place directly over medium-low heat, stir
CONSTANTLY until the pudding thickens and comes to a plopping boil.
Watch it like a hawk and DON’T TURN UP THE FIRE; at this stage it’ll
stick and burn at the least provocation! Patience is essential here.
Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and butter. Pour into baked
pie shell. Top with meringue. Bake at 325 F. until the meringue
browns, 15 to 20 minutes.
Meringue: Beat egg whites and all other ingredients except sugar
until foamy. Add sugar, ONE TABLESPOON AT A TIME, while beating
vigorously until the whites will hold a firm peak and are satiny
looking. Spread meringue over the hot filling, starting with small
amounts at the edges and sealing to the crust all around. If you
don’t make sure the meringue is well stuck to the crust at this
stage, it’ll shrink and pull away during the baking, which makes a
lots less attractive pie. Spread pie with remaining meringue, making
hills and valleys.
Adding the sugar a little at a time helps make sure that it dissolves
completely, and so helps prevent the meringue from weeping. Also,
spreading the meringue over the hot filling helps–I don’t know why.
Yields
1 Servings