Mel's Chocolate Pie

Mel'S CHOCOLATE PIE

Mel called today. Said she had a pie with my name on it.  There are pies and then there is Mel’s chocolate pie.  She brings her pies to our church dinners and I always get a slice before getting anything else. "Eat dessert first," they say, though I don't eat it first, I do make sure I have some cause her pies go fast.


Mel's pie has a luscious chocolate custard resting on a flaky crust, topped with a huge springy meringue.  La pièce de résistance....yum yum.


I can’t remember a period in my life when chocolate pie wasn’t my favorite dessert. My family has always been pie eaters, but we fall into several camps: there are the sweet potato or pumpkin pie enthusiasts, the pecan pie lovers, a few coconuts, and then there are those of us who prefer the chocolate.


So needless to say, when she called I was stoked.  My appetite has not been good since starting the chemo and radiation therapy, but little by little, I feel it is coming back.  The "pie call" really got me excited.


Mel arrived with pie in hand.  She is a beautiful lady who has always been special to John and me.  Her children are about the same age as us, but she and her husband Ben, have always been so kind to our family.


Many years ago, when John was injured in a farm accident, Mel and her husband always checked on us, especially me.  Ben teased me about being John's monkey, in reference to the trained medical monkeys that help people.  John couldn't move for awhile so I tended to his every need, hence, "the monkey" comment.


Ben died a few years ago from a recurrence of his colon cancer.  Mel and I talked about him today and how well he did with his chemo and radiation, but unfortunately, the cancer won.  I miss him.  He was a handsome man with kind blue eyes.  One of my favorite memories of him occurred years ago when we were singing a hymn in church.  He was standing with his daughter Laura, singing and she put her arm through his, they looked at each other and smiled.  There was a lot of love in that smile.  It still brings tears when I think of it, a daddy and his beautiful daughter.


Mel and I chatted for a bit.  She said she didn't want to stay too long and tire me out. I didn't eat a piece of the pie right then, I placed it in a beautiful glass topped cake plate and put it on the counter.  I was going to save it for after dinner and to tease John.


When he got home, he asked me what I had been doing.  I pointed at the pie and said, "I made a pie for you."  He looked at the pie and then looked at me.  "Mel came didn't she?"  So much for that.


Mel was kind enough to share her recipe.  She said she got it from a cookbook she bought from a door to door salesman when she was very young.  Said she paid $4 for the book and her mother thought she was crazy, but it is a wonderful pie.


Thanks Mel for the visit and the pie.




Mel’s chocolate pie 
Filling ingredients:
4 heaping tablespoons of Hershey's cocoa
1 1/2 cups of sugar
1/4 cup of self rising flour
2 cups of milk warmed
4 egg yolks, beaten slightly
1 tablespoon of butter

Meringue ingredients:
4 egg whites
dash of cream of tartar
8 tablespoons of sugar (2 per egg)
1 tablespoon vanilla

Your favorite  pie crust but I like Pillsbury - you can find them in the refrig section

Method:
Sift flour and cocoa, add sugar, eggs and milk (all except butter) with a whisk.
Cook while stirring on medium heat until it bubbles and thickens, about five to 10 minutes. If it becomes lumpy, just beat out the lumps.
Remove from heat and stir in your butter.
Meanwhile, poke holes in your pie crust with a fork so it won't get bulges and bake it at 350 until it’s brown, about 20 minutes.  Let cool a bit.
Beat your room temp egg whites until stiff and peaking and start to add the sugar and cream of tartar.  Continue beating till all mixed
Pour the chocolate custard into the baked pie shell and top with the beaten egg whites.
Bake at 350 degrees or until the peaks on the meringue are lightly browned, about 12 minutes.

Mel says: “It’s real good hot, wonderful cold and you can put it in the microwave for a few seconds just to warm it up.

Thanks Mel!


PCQ