Hooray for hot chocolate pie! One for us, and a teeny one for our fabulous neighbor, Rita.

Mmmmm…. I’d been plotting this pie for a long time. When I finally made it, we brought it to a Christmas party, which was a good thing… otherwise I would have taken care of the entire thing by myself. The pudding was thick, rich; the marshmallows were in just the right proportion. And, the peppermint from the candy cane leeched into the nearby pudding, which was kinda fun.

I did attempt to make a chocolate crust and, while the flavor was excellent, its structure wasn’t ideal. I’m still working out the kinks, but will post a recipe once I get it worked out.

If I had to write a reference letter for this pie, I would give it my highest commendation.

Hot Chocolate Pie (made 12/19/15)

1/2 recipe pie dough (If you want to experiment as I did, try adding 2 Tbsp. sugar and ¼ c. cocoa powder)
½ c. sugar
1/3 c. cocoa powder
¼ c. cornstarch
a pinch of salt
2 c. milk
1 tsp. butter
2 tsp. vanilla
8 oz. miniature marshmallows (1/2 a typical bag)
candy cane(s) for garnish (optional)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees

Roll out pie dough to approximately 11 inches in diameter and place in a pie pan. Tuck the edges under and crimp as desired. Blind-bake the piecrust until it is partially baked: Fit a piece of aluminum foil into the unbaked crust so that the edges come up above the level of the pie crust, and fill with pie weights (or dry rice or beans). Bake for 20 minutes; if the crust still appears wet when you remove the weights and foil, return to the oven at 350 degrees for another 5 minutes. Set aside.

Combine the sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch, salt, and milk in a medium saucepan. Whisk to dissolve the cornstarch. Continue to whisk over medium heat until the mixture begins to thicken, and allow to simmer while stirring for 1 minute further. Remove from heat; add the butter and vanilla and stir to incorporate.

Pour the pudding mixture into the prepared piecrust. Allow to cool for 2-3 minutes. Gently pour the miniature marshmallows on top of the filling. Place a pie shield over the edges of the pie to protect the crust. Then, place the pie on the top rack of the oven with the broiler set on low to brown the marshmallows. Watch carefully so they don’t burn!

Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Tuck a candy cane in the edge before serving if you wish.