Chocolate Meringue Pie

I think that, next to apple pie, there is nothing more American than Chocolate Meringue Pie. And nothing quite so tasty. They are somewhat temperamental to make though... I learned that many, many years ago when I tried to make my first one. To put it nicely... it was a disaster. Runny, flat meringue, just blecht. Put a few years on me, add a little more patience, and this attempt was an amazing success. I found this recipe on Pinterest - Aunt Julia's Chocolate Pie. I just made one tiny tweak - I added a teaspoon of ground espresso, which helps intensify the chocolate flavor. I also used my own Pie Crust recipe, but you can use whichever you like.

1 baked pie crust

1 cup sugar
2 cups milk (calls for whole, but I used 2 percent)
3 1/2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp ground espresso
3 large eggs, separated
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
1 tsp cream of tartar
2 Tbsp confectioners' sugar

Separate eggs. I placed the whites in a large bowl and put those in the refrigerator to chill for the meringue. I left the yolks in half the egg shell until ready to add to the mixture. I also put the whisk attachment into the freezer to chill before making the meringue. In a bowl, combine 1 cup of milk, flour, and cocoa powder and whisk thoroughly to combine. In a saucepan, add remaining 1 cup of milk and sugar, and heat over medium-high heat until simmering. Slowly add the milk-flour-cocoa mixture and stir until combined.

Bring to a boil. Add egg yolks one at a time, whisking constantly. Bring to a boil.

Once the mixture comes to a boil, add the vanilla and then remove from heat. Pour the mixture into the baked pie crust and set aside.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. To make the meringue, add the cream of tartar and a pinch of salt to the egg whites. Using a hand-held mixer, whisk on high speed until foamy. 

Sift the confectioners' sugar a little at a time and whisk until the whites are glossy and hold stiff peaks when the whisk is lifted.

Spoon the meringue onto the chocolate filling being sure to spread all the way up the the edge of the crust.

Bake until meringue is golden brown, about 3-5 minutes.