Chocolate Cream Pie

Filling Ingredients:
⅓ cup sugar (66 grams)
¼ cup cornstarch (28 grams)
2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ tsp. salt
3 cups whole milk (Can use some of the heavy cream if you have extra)
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine (at least 60% cocoa content)
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut in 3 pieces
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 fully baked 9 inch pie crust shell. (Double mix butter crust recommended)

Whip Cream Topping Ingredients:
1 cup heavy cream
1 Tbsp. powdered sugar
Whip cream stabilizer:
1 tsp. unflavored gelatin
2 Tbsp water
To make stabilizer you need to "bloom your gelatin".  First, slowly sprinkle the gelatin over the water in a very small cup.  Once it all turns sponge-like in about 5 minutes heat in microwave in short 5 to 10 second bursts stirring after each burst until the gelatin is all dissolved the water and turns clear.  Do not boil! Then set aside until you mix into your whip cream at the end by slowly streaming it in the whip cream as you continue to beat it.


1.   FOR THE FILLING: Whisk sugar, cornstarch, cocoa, and salt together in large saucepan. Whisk in milk until incorporated, making sure to scrape corners of saucepan. Place saucepan over medium heat; cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is thickened and bubbling over entire surface, 8 to 10 minutes. Cook 30 seconds longer; remove from heat. Add chocolate and butter and whisk until melted and fully incorporated. Whisk in vanilla. Pour filling into cooled pie crust. Press plastic wrap against surface of filling (to eliminate pudding skin) and let cool completely, about 1 hour. Refrigerate until filling is firmly set, at least 2½ hours or up to 24 hours.

2.    FOR THE TOPPING: Using stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip cream and sugar on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to high and whip until stiff peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes. Then mix in your Stabilizer if you want the whip cream to hold up longer than a few hours.  Spread whipped cream evenly over chilled pie and serve.