Grandma’s Chocolate Pie is a staple recipe for many families. It is delicious, easy to make and always the fan favorite at potlucks, family gatherings and other events. You can make the pie with all-American ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. This pie is so easy to make that it has become a tradition for even the most novice cooks to try making it. Grandma’s Chocolate Pie is a great dessert for Thanksgiving, Christmas and any other holiday during the year. It is a wonderful choice for your next holiday party or weekend get together.
Grandma’s chocolate pie recipe is my grandmother’s pastry recipe that she gave to me. I’ve tried many other chocolate pies, but none match the taste and quality of this one. The recipe is simple to make and follow, and if you like chocolate pies, I am sure you will like this one too!
How to Prepare the Grandma’s Chocolate Pie
Ingredients:
- ½ c. cocoa
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 ½ c. sugar
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 2 c. milk
- 1 tsp. vanilla
Directions:
Preparation: Begin by preparing your ingredients. This recipe is designed without meringue, but if you prefer, you can add meringue as a topping.
Mixing: In a large mixing bowl, combine the cocoa, cornstarch, and sugar. Add the beaten egg yolks, salt, and vanilla to the dry ingredients. Mix these together until they are well combined.
Cooking: Gradually add milk to the mixture. It’s important to add the milk slowly and stir continuously to avoid lumps and ensure a smooth consistency. Once all the milk is incorporated, transfer the mixture to a pot.
Place the pot over medium-high heat. Keep stirring the mixture constantly while it cooks. The key is to cook until the mixture becomes thick, ensuring a smooth texture. This usually takes a few minutes.
Final Steps: After the mixture has thickened, remove it from the heat. Pour the chocolate filling into a pre-baked pie shell. Ensure the filling is evenly distributed within the shell.
Chilling: Once the pie is filled, place it in the refrigerator. Chill the pie until it sets. This will take a few hours, but it’s essential for achieving the perfect consistency.
Where is chocolate pie from?
Chocolate pie, specifically the version with a chocolate custard filling on a flaky pie crust base and topped with whipped cream, originates from the French dessert tarte au chocolat. While its roots lie in France, the chocolate pie as we know it today has developed its own unique history and regional influence.
European immigrants who settled in the Midwest region of the United States have driven the evolution of chocolate pie. Many of these immigrants were skilled in the art of pastry-making and contributed their culinary traditions and expertise. As they became dairy farmers in the Midwest, they used their dairy products to create exceptional pastries and desserts.
Why is my chocolate pie not firm?
The most common reason for a chocolate pie not being firm and having a runny consistency is that you might not have cooked the filling for a sufficient amount of time to properly coagulate. Achieving the desired firmness in a chocolate pie filling requires proper heating and cooking techniques.
To ensure that your chocolate pie filling reaches the desired consistency, it is crucial to bring the filling to a simmer. This means heating it until you see gentle bubbles forming on the surface. The simmering process allows the ingredients to combine and thicken, resulting in a more solid and stable filling.
In addition to simmering, it is important to monitor the temperature of the filling. The recommended temperature for a well-cooked chocolate pie filling is around 160 degrees Fahrenheit (71 degrees Celsius). This temperature ensures that the filling reaches the necessary heat for proper coagulation and setting.
By simmering the filling and ensuring it reaches the appropriate temperature, you allow the starches and proteins in the ingredients to activate and create a cohesive structure. This process thickens the filling and gives it the desired firmness once cooled.
Why is my pie gummy?
If you find that your pie has a gummy texture, it is likely due to the development of excessive gluten in the pastry. Gluten is a protein that forms when flour is combined with liquid and agitated. Several factors can contribute to the formation of too much gluten in your pie crust, resulting in a tough or gummy texture.
Overmixing or over-kneading the pie dough is a common culprit. Excessive handling of the dough activates the proteins in the flour and forms more gluten strands, leading to a tougher and chewier texture in the final product. To avoid this, it is important to handle the dough gently and mix or knead it just enough to combine the ingredients.
Insufficient fat content in the pie crust can also contribute to gumminess. Fat acts as a tenderizer in pastry, helping to inhibit gluten formation. If there is not enough fat in the dough, the gluten can develop more easily, resulting in a gummy texture. Ensuring that your recipe includes an adequate amount of fat, such as butter or shortening, can help prevent this issue.
The ratio of flour to liquid is another factor that can affect the texture of the pie crust. Adding too much flour to the dough compared to the liquid can cause an excessive amount of gluten to form. It is important to follow the recipe’s instructions and maintain the proper balance between flour and liquid to avoid a gummy texture.
Conversely, using too much liquid in the dough can also contribute to gumminess. Liquid hydrates the flour and activates gluten formation. Adding an excessive amount of liquid can result in an overly hydrated dough that leads to a gummy texture. It is essential to add the liquid gradually and only as much as necessary to achieve the desired dough consistency.
Grandma’s Chocolate Pie
Ingredients
- ½ c. cocoa
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 ½ c. sugar
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 2 c. milk
- 1 tsp. vanilla
Instructions
- This recipe does not have meringue on it. You could make the meringue if you want.
- Mix cocoa, cornstarch, beaten egg yolks; sugar and salt and vanilla, then add milk gradually, while stirring in a pot over med-high heat.
- Cook until thick, beating it smooth.
- Pour into a pre-baked pie shell.
- Put in the fridge to chill
