Old Fashion Chocolate Pie | My Grandmother's Recipes

November 19, 2013

I'm a week behind on my Nanny's recipes, but I did make a super old recipe from my great grandmother on my father's side of the family. 

Meet the best Chocolate Pie you ever did eat. 

Old Fashion Chocolate Pie | via @labride

It actually took me two tries to get this recipe just right.

I made this all the time in college, but without making it for 6 years I completely forgot the method.

You might think, "Look at the recipe," but if you have grandmother's like I was blessed with you know not all recipes come with directions, and not all of them come with accurate measurements.

This particular one... has neither.

Old Fashion Chocolate Pie | via @labride

 We're talking a coffee cup of this, a spoon of that. Bake until done.

The first of these I made I just tossed it all into the crust think that is what I had done years ago.

Turns out that wasn't it at all.

Second round turned out perfect though, just like I remember it.

Old Fashion Chocolate Pie | via @labride

What is up with not writing directions on anything? Lord help me these recipes will be the death of me. I have no less than a handful of library cards with ingredients on them.

No directions.

No name.

Hence why my Nanny never had a recipe for her bread pudding, the best bread pudding I have had in my life.

Cooking from memory is for the birds, I like documenting things too much.

My memory is awful.

Old Fashion Chocolate Pie | via @labride

old fashion chocolate pie


Ingredients::
1 pie crust
1 cup of evaporated milk
3 tbsp flour
3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
3 eggs, separated
2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions::
Preheat oven to 350. Bake pie crust according to directions. In a sauce pan combine milk, flour, cocoa powder, sugar, 3 egg yolks, and vanilla. Turn the pan on after ingredients are in it and set the temperature to medium. Whisk constantly until it begins to bubble and then reduce heat to simmer, cooking until thickened like pudding. When the chocolate filling and pie crust are cooked, place the chocolate filling in the crust and allow to cool a room temperature. When cooled, preheat oven to 400, and beat egg whites in a large bowl with a hand mixer on high until firm peaks form. Spoon meringue over the chocolate filling with a spatula, being sure to touch the edges of the pie to prevent the meringue from shrinking. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 5-8 minutes until meringue is browned. Allow to cool and serve.

Old Fashion Chocolate Pie | via @labride

Depending on my mood I either use a store bought crust or make my own. I prefer Pioneer Woman's perfect pie crust, and make it with whole wheat flour, but for this I would use white flour.

Other recipes I've seen for similar pies over the years call for a double boiler and adding cream of tarter to the whites.

Old Southern women in the 1950's and 60's weren't bothering with any fancy things, and you really don't need them.

There is no need to temper the eggs in this, just keep stirring and start at a low heat.

I've also never used a copper bowl, or cream of tarter to make meringue; and I've never had an issue with it turning out right.

I wish y'all could see the original recipe, as exact as baking is supposed to be it always amazes me that this ever came out right for Granny Cater and her not exactly exact measurements.

Old Fashion Chocolate Pie | via @labride