Chocolate Pie

Vanilla Pudding:

¾ cup sugar

3 tablespoons corn starch

¼ teaspoon salt

2 cups milk (warm ahead of time to lessen preparation time)

3 beaten egg yolks

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 teaspoons vanilla

In heavy saucepan combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Pour in milk slowly and stir using wire whip. Cook and stir over medium heat till thickened and bubbly; cook and stir 2 minutes more; Remove from heat. Gradually stir about 1 cup of the hot mixture into the egg yolks.

Return all to mixture in saucepan. Cook and stir 2 minutes more.Remove from heat. Stir in butter and vanilla till butter melts.Pour into a bowl. Cover surface with clear plastic wrap. Chill without stirring. 


Prepare Vanilla Pudding as above, except increase sugar to 1 cup. 

Stir 6 Tablespoons cocoa into sugar mixture. 

Continue as directed.

Microwave instructions:
(this works for chocolate pudding also – add cocoa with sugar mixture)

Mix sugar, cornstarch & salt in 1 quart glass measuring cup or bowl.

Preheat milk in microwave (3 minutes) in glass measuring cup

Pour hot milk (while stirring) into sugar mixture until well blended

Cook in microwave until thick and bubbly (about 3-4 minutes, interrupting once or twice to stir)

Gradually stir 1 cup of the hot mixture into the egg yolks, then return all to pudding mixture

Microwave for 1 minute (it should be very thick – if not, continue to microwave for short periods of time ( 60 sec) stirring between until it is.

Stir in butter and vanilla. Cool and serve.

Variations of pie fillings using the above recipe:

Chocolate cream pie – pour pudding mixture into prepared crust and top with whipped cream or make a meringue

Coconut cream pie – Stir in 1 cup shredded coconut into vanilla pudding

Banana cream pie – Layer vanilla pudding with fresh slices of banana