Chocolate Pudding Pie

A chocolate pudding pie is noteworthy because of the creamy richness that comes from a homemade pudding base and the incorporation of chopped dark chocolate into the warm custard before it cools. The homemade pudding is made by heating milk, cocoa powder, and instant coffee on the stove and whisking some of it into a mixture of sugar, cornstarch, and egg yolks. This is then added back to the remaining milk on the stove and whisked until thickened to a rich pudding consistency. Once the custard reaches this stage, it's removed from the heat and the warmth of the custard gently melts butter and chopped chocolate so it easily incorporates along with the perfumed sweetness of vanilla extract.At this point, the enriched pudding is ready to be poured into a graham cracker crust and chilled for a few hours. The filling firms slightly in the fridge to create a beautifully sliceable pie that tastes unmistakably like decadent chocolate pudding. The pie is then ready to be topped with freshly whipped cream and chopped dark chocolate for a treat that is both reminiscent of chocolate pudding from childhood while also nodding to the sophisticated flavors of high-quality dark chocolate. The instant coffee incorporated into the filling only enhances the chocolaty-ness of the pie without making the pie taste like coffee, and if you prefer the robustness of dark chocolate, substitute Dutch-processed cocoa powder for the regular cocoa powder called for in the recipe.