Paula Deen's Rich Chocolate Meringue Pie

By kshepherd322

This rich and creamy Chocolate Meringue Pie will satisfy any sweet tooth. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• MILE HIGH MERINGUE:
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 2 1/2 cups whole milk
• 4 egg yolks, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 (9-inch) prepared pie crust, baked
• 5 egg whites, room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 10 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon clear or regular vanilla extract
• Unsweetened cocoa powder, if desired

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 325°F.

In a large heavy saucepan, combine flour, cocoa, and sugar. Stir in milk and egg yolks. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wire whisk, until mixture comes to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat; stir in butter and vanilla. Pour mixture into prepared piecrust.

Using the back of a spoon, spread meringue (recipe below) over hot filling, sealing to edge of pie crust. Bake for 23 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Sift cocoa over the top of the pie if desired. Store in refrigerator.

MILE-HIGH MERINGUE:

Separate a cold egg by transferring the yolk between the broken halves and letting the white drip into a small bowl. Transfer the white into a metal or glass mixing bowl. Separate the next egg over the small bowl as well-not over the mixing bowl. This way, if some of the yolk gets in the white, then you have lost only one egg.

Let egg whites come to room temperature. Beat the egg whites at the mixer's top speed until the mixture looks like sea form on a beach. Add cream of tartar to the foam to help stabilize the meringue.

Keep beating egg whites at high speed until they reach soft peaks. When you lift the beaters from the beaten egg whites, the peaks will stand up straight and then fall over.

Add the sugar gradually, about a tablespoon at a time, all while beating at a high speed.

When you lift the beaters, the meringue pulls into pointy peaks that stay that way. At this stage, add the vanilla, and beat just long enough to mix it in.