Blogger's Pie Day

Tammy has informed me that today is Bloggers' Share National Pie Day where we all are supposed to post a pie recipe--any ol' type of pie, sweet or savory, big or small.

Tammy has a list of all the blogger's posting recipes. (Click on her name at the beginning of the post to take you there.) Have fun!

This it the pie I tried to make for Christmas dinner . . . (it's still on the list).

Chocolate Pie

Crust

• 16 Oreo cookies, broken into rough pieces
  
• 2 T unsalted butter, melted

Set oven at 350 degrees (f). Pulse the cookies in a food processor until coarsely ground. Run the food processor until the crumbs are uniformly fine, about 15 seconds. With the machine running, pour the butter through the feed tube and process until the mixture resembles wet sand. Transfer the crumbs to a pie plate.

Press the crumbs into an even layer on the bottom and sides of the plate using a measuring cup. Bake until the crust is set, about 15 minutes. Let cool for about 30 minutes.

Pie

• 2 1/2 C half-and-half
• 1/3 C sugar (I use vanilla sugar)
  
• Pinch of salt
• 6 large egg yolks
• 2 T cornstarch
• 6 T (3/4 stick) unsalted butter ,cut into 1/4 inch pieces
• 6 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
• 1 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped fine
• 1 t vanilla extract

Bring the half--and-half, half of the sugar and the salt to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.

As the half-and-half mixture begins to simmer, in a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks, the remaining sugar and cornstarch together until smooth.

Slowly whisk about 1 cup of the simmering half-and-half mixture into the yolks (to temper). Then slowly whisk the tempered yolks into the simmering half-and-half mixture and reduce the heat to medium. Whisking constantly, return the mixture to a simmer and cook until thickened and a few bubbles burst on the surface, about 30 seconds. Take off heat and whisk the butter then the chocolates and finally the vanilla until completely smooth.

Pour the warm filling into the baked, cooled pie crust. lay a sheet of plastic wrap flush to the surface of the filling to prevent a skin from forming and refrigerate until the filling is cold and firm, at least 3 hours.

Just before serving, add whipped cream and spread over the pie.

YUM!