Pie Odyssey: The Saga Continues, with Chocolate & Vanilla Custard Pie

I know that I told you in my (second) last post that I would write about couverature chocolate (and ex-boyfriends) in this post, but I have some chocolate cookie crumbs sitting in my cupboard that have been whispering sweet nothings to me for the last month or so. They’re trying to lure me into making something delicious, like a chocolate cheesecake or a chocolate mud pie. Today, their mission was successful. But I have little patience for protracted recipes, so I’m just going to make a Chocolate and Vanilla Pudding Pie! And it ties in nicely with the Pie Odyssey theme, so bonus!

You really could use a thickened bought vanilla pudding to make this, but it’s just not the same thing as homemade. Seriously! Homemade custard is a special dessert. Sometime I’ll have to tell you my mum’s vla recipe, which is just a Dutch pudding. There’s nothing quite like chocolate vla. Mmm…want me some pudding now, so let’s get cooking!

The cookie crust, ma peeps!

Chocolate Pie Crust

• 1 ½ cup chocolate wafer crumbs
• 3 tbsp. butter, melted
• 3 tbsp sugar

Mix together, and press into a pie pan in a standard pie crust shape. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 5-8 minutes. Ta da! Crust is done!

And then the pudding that takes it from bla to…vla? (tee hee hee):

Homemade Vanilla Custard

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• ¼ tsp salt
• 2 ¼ cups milk
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 3 tbsp butter, small chunks
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Mix cornstarch, sugar and salt in a saucepan. Whisk in ¼ cup milk, and then the eggs and then the rest of the milk. Cook over a medium heat, continuously whisking, for about 5 minutes, until the pudding starts to bubble. Then switch to low heat and continue whisking for 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla extract. Pour/press through a sieve to get out any lumps. Pour into a serving container and chill for about two hours. Serve to adoring fans and taste the difference homemade makes!

Pro tip: As the custard is chilling in the fridge, put a piece of plastic wrap on the top, touching the pudding, to avoid the dreaded ‘pudding skin’. Unless you like the skin. Then, you know, whatevs!

And then to put it all together:

Chocolate and Vanilla Custard Pie

• 1 chocolate cookie crumb crust
• 1 vanilla custard recipe
• 2 cups whipped cream

Take cooled chocolate cookie crumb crust in pie pan. Pour cooled custard into crust and refrigerate for 2 hours or so. Cover in whipping cream. Serve to general acclaim. Accept applause as your due.

Yummers! Was that not the most delicious confection? The crunch of the chocolate-y, buttery crust; the creamy, smooth flavour of the vanilla custard ; the light sweetness of the whipping cream…that’s a seriously decadent mouthful! I will say, this pudding is not your Vanilla Jello Pudding, but more of a custardy confection, so don’t be surprised that you can taste the egginess. That’s real puddin’ baby!

Mmm…just writing these words makes me want to eat more! So if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to eat some Chocolate and Vanilla Custard pie!

Next Post:  One chapter in my romantic past. And chocolate. Because chocolate!