Take yourself back in time to grandma's house for the holidays. It's the perfect dessert that is delicious and decadent but easy to make.
½ c. cocoa
¼ cup cornstarch or ½ c. all-purpose flour
3 egg yolks, beaten
1 ½ c. sugar
¼ t. salt
2 c. milk
1 t. vanilla
pre-baked pie shell
whipped cream or meringue topping, optional
In a heavy bottom pan on the stovetop, mix cocoa, cornstarch, beaten egg yolks; mix in sugar and salt; add milk gradually, while stirring in a pot/pan over medium-high heat. Cook until thick, whisking until smooth.
Cream pies take some time to thicken, so stir for 10-15 minutes. Using a heavy bottom pan really helps. Just keep it up until it thickens. Add vanilla in after taking the pan off of the heat.
Pour into a pre-baked pie shell; place in the refrigerator to chill; add whipped cream, if desired. Or you could use the leftover egg whites for a meringue topping.
*You don't need to bake or freeze it. It's an old-fashioned pudding. It thickens as you cook it and will firm up more when you chill it, but if you want to eat it warm, go ahead.
**Don’t use arrowroot powder as a substitute for cornstarch or flour. It makes it kind of stringy and sticky. Cornstarch is the perfect gluten-free option.