pies & paint: the pie

Happy Friday everybody! 
It finally feels like Spring is here to stay and although I'll be a crunchy-leaves-jumping, snowflake-eating, cold-weather-lover till I die...I am definitely enjoying being able to open the windows and bask in a nice breeze. 

We had a blast celebrating Easter with family last weekend and for the occasion, I made two pies, one of which I knew I had to share. Frankly, it's not unreasonable to say that I could eat my way out of a swimming pool filled with this pie. And if I didn't make it, I would die blissful. Okay - maybe a little overdramatic, but it was super tasty.

Perfect for Spring, Chocolate Cream Pie

Ingredients:
- a 9" pie crust (either homemade or frozen will do)
- 1 egg white
- 3 egg yolks, beaten
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

Directions:

• Brush pie shell with egg white and bake at 350F until just shy of browned. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, cream together the egg yolks and sugar. Mix in the cornstarch, cocoa, and salt. Add milk and cream, stirring gently till mostly combined.
• Pour mixture into a large saucepan. Over medium heat and stirring constantly, bring the mixture to boil (this took me around 20 minutes but is worth doing slowly to avoid scalding the milk).
• Remove from heat and add butter and vanilla. Cool for 5-10 minutes then pour into pie shell.
• Chill overnight or for several hours. If there is condensation on the surface of the pie after chilling, gently lay a paper towel over it to absorb excess moisture.
• Top with whipped topping (see note). Garnish with shaved chocolate for increased fanciness.

Notes:
- If you have extra filling that will not fit in your pie shell, do yourself a favor and pour it into a small tupperware. Chill and top with extra whipped topping for a treat for later.
- To make homemade whipped topping, stick a medium bowl and your beaters into the freezer for 30 minutes. Combine 1 1/2 cups of heavy whipping cream, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, and 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract. Whip on medium until stiff peaks form, around 5-7 minutes.