Old-Fashioned Chocolate Chess Pie

This pie belongs to a family of desserts born from necessity. It relies on the simple staples of the pantry like sugar, eggs, and butter to create something far greater than the sum of its parts. The result is a dessert with a distinct texture that settles somewhere between a dense custard and a fudge brownie.

The magic lies in how it bakes. The sugar rises to the surface to form a delicate, crackly crust while the filling underneath remains smooth and rich. It is a sweet pie, intense in its chocolate flavor, and requires nothing more than a dollop of unsweetened whipped cream to cut through the richness.

The Recipe Yields: 8 servings | Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 unbaked 9-inch pastry shell
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 1/2 tablespoons cocoa
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Whipped cream (for garnish)

Instructions

1. Par-bake the Crust Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the unbaked pastry shell in the oven and bake for 5 minutes. This helps set the crust slightly before the wet filling is added. Remove from the oven and set aside.
2. Make the Filling In a medium bowl, combine the beaten eggs, sugar, all-purpose flour, cocoa, melted butter, evaporated milk, and vanilla extract. Stir well until the mixture is smooth and fully combined.
3. Bake Spoon the chocolate mixture evenly into the prepared pastry shell. Return the pie to the oven and bake at 350°F for 45 minutes, or until the filling is set and the top has formed a crust.
4. Serve Allow the pie to cool completely before slicing. Serve with a garnish of whipped cream.

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