

- 1 sheet refrigerated pie shell (or of course...make your own--here's my favorite recipe)
- 2/3 cup white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp. cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup semi sweet or dark chocolate chips
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup butter, softened
- 1 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream (1/2 for pie and 1/2 for topping)
- 2 Tbs. powdered sugar
- Real whipped cream and chocolate curls or pieces
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pie dough into a 8 inch circle. Transfer to a 7 inch pie plate and flute the edges. Poke the bottom of the crust with a fork a few times and bake at 400 degrees for 7-10 minutes, or until crust is lightly golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool until crust is no longer hot.
- In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, cocoa and eggs until well blended. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 160 degrees or it coats the back of a metal spoon and the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat. Stir in the chocolate and vanilla and mix until smooth. Cool to room temperature. In another bowl, cream the butter until it is light and fluffy. Add the cooled chocolate mixture and beat with an electric mixer on high speed for 5 minutes (or until the mixture is light and frothy). In another bowl, beat the whipping cream until it begins to thicken. Add the powdered sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold in half of the whipped cream into the cooled chocolate mixture. Once combined, pour the mixture into the cooled crust. Keep the remaining whipped cream in the fridge until ready to serve. Let the pie refrigerate for 5-6 hours or until totally firm. When ready to serve, spread the remaining whipping cream over the top of the pie. Garnish with chocolate curls or pieces of chocolate if desired. Keep cold until ready to serve.