Gum-I's Chocolate Pie

This post is an emotional one for me. My grandmother, or Gum-I as my sisters and I called her, is the most influential person in my life. She was the most caring and supportive person I have known. If I become half the woman she was, I will have a fulfilled life.

Christmas cooking was always a big deal in our house when I was a child. Gum-I would stay for a week during the holidays and have a cooking fest with my mom. My sisters and I would come home from school to a kitchen FULL of goodies. From breakfast cookies to fudge, we would have a wide selection of sugar-filled treats to choose from. Her chocolate pie is what always stood out to me though. To this day, no one has been able to cook a chocolate pie to her standards, but I still feel as though she would enjoy sitting at my kitchen table and eating a piece of mine.

Chocolate Pie

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 egg yolks

1/2 cup cocoa

1/2 cup plain flour

2 tsp vanilla

1 stick butter

2 cups milk

1 baked 9-in pie shell

In a medium saucepan, mix dry ingredients (sugar, cocoa, flour)

Separate your egg by using an egg separator, or as I did, by transferring the yolk from shell to shell until egg separates. Make sure you do not get ANY yolk in your whites, as you will be using these whites to make your meringue.

Mix your egg yolks and milk gradually to your dry ingredients over medium heat. Stir constantly until thick. Now, be patient with this. If it's your first time trying this, you will think you have done something wrong. It will take at least 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, bake your pie shell according to how you like. I usually use Pillsbury's roll out pie crust, but UGO had a sale on frozen pie shells. So that is what I used on this one.

Once your chocolate mixture is thickened, take off heat. Melt your butter and add to chocolate mixture, along with vanilla.

Pour chocolate mixture into your prepared pie crust.

Now, this is when I wish Gum-I was here to help me.
Take your room temperature egg whites and add a 1/4 tsp cream of tarter and 1/2 tsp vanilla. Beat until foamy.

Take 1/3 cup of sugar and continue beating while adding sugar slowly. It should form peaks. However, mine didn't this time. Lord only knows why.

Spoon prepared meringue on top of pie. Bake at 350-degrees for 6-8 minutes or until meringue is browned.