Recipe: Chocolate Silk Pie with Meringue

CHOCOLATE SILK PIE



1 (10-inch) pie crust (recipe follows) or 1/2 (15-ounce) package refrigerated pie dough (such as Pillsbury)
FOR THE FILLING:
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

FOR THE MERINGUE:
5 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups sugar
2/3 cup water
Grated chocolate (optional, for garnish)

Prepare and bake pie crust in a 10-inch deep-dish pie plate. Cool completely on a wire rack.

TO PREPARE FILLING:
Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, 1/2 cup sugar, cocoa powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan; stir with a whisk. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat; cook 2 minutes or until thick and bubbly, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat; add chopped chocolate, stirring until chocolate melts. Spoon chocolate mixture into a bowl; place bowl in a large ice-filled bowl 10 minutes or until chocolate mixture comes to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Remove bowl from ice.

TO PREPARE MERINGUE:
Place egg whites and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until soft peaks form; set aside.

Combine 1 1/4 cups sugar and water in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook, without stirring, until candy thermometer registers 238 degrees F. Pour hot sugar syrup in a thin stream over egg whites, beating at high speed until stiff peaks form.

Fold 2 cups meringue into chocolate mixture. Spread chocolate mixture into prepared crust. Spread remaining meringue over chocolate mixture. Chill 8 hours; garnish with grated chocolate, if desired.

PIE CRUST
his recipe makes a 9- or 10-inch crust.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
4 tablespoons ice water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, sugar, and salt; cut in butter and shortening with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle surface with ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time; toss with a fork until moist and crumbly (do not form a ball).

Press mixture gently into a 4-inch circle on plastic wrap; cover. Chill 15 minutes.

Slightly overlap 2 lengths of plastic wrap on a slightly damp surface. Unwrap and place chilled dough on plastic wrap. Cover dough with 2 additional lengths of overlapping plastic wrap. Roll dough, still covered, into a 13-inch circle. Place dough in freezer 5 minutes or until plastic wrap can be easily removed.

Remove top sheets of plastic wrap; fit dough, plastic wrap side up, into a deep- dish pie plate coated with cooking spray. Remove remaining plastic wrap. Fold edges under; flute. Pierce bottom and sides of dough with a fork.

Bake crust at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Makes 1 (10-inch) pie, 10 servings (serving size: 1 wedge)
Source: Cooking Light Recipes 2003