Chocolate Pie (vintage recipe)

If you like a very rich chocolate pie, this recipe is smooth and rich in flavor.
I wouldn't be surprised if this recipe was at least 100 years old or at least as old as Hershey Chocolate cocoa powder is. My grandmother made this for my dad who was the youngest of 8 children and he is 90 years old. It was one of his favorite pies.

In a saucepan combine in this order, mixing ingredients well:

1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 Tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

Stir in very gradually 2 cups milk. (In other words stir in 1/2 cup milk and mix well, then add the remainder of the milk and stir until completely mixed.) Cook over low heat and stir constantly till thickened. Briefly remove from heat and stir in 3 well beaten egg yolks To keep your filling smooth pour a small amount of the chocolate filling over the beaten eggs and beat quickly, pour this into the remainder of chocolate filling in the saucepan,
stirring quickly or use a wisk to mix it well for a smooth creamy chocolate filling.
Cook on low heat for a minute or two, stirring constantly. Remove from stove, stir in 2 Tablespoons of butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

Pour this chocolate filling into a baked pie crust and top with merangue.Bake in a 375o oven until merangue is lightly browned.

(If you prefer a whipped cream topping, allow the pie to cool and refrigerate first. Then top with whipped cream or add whipped cream to each slice of pie.

Merangue

3 egg whites beaten until stiff peaks form, it is very important that the bowl you
beat the egg whites in has no oil residue or the whites will not beat to the desired stiffness.

Gradually pour in 1/3 cup sugar, mixing thoroughly, last beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Spread the merangue over the chocolate filling, sealing the edges of merangue to the pie crust edges. The chocolate pie should be completely covered in merangue.