Mmm... pie

Happy day after Easter!

Yesterday was yet another reminder of why I love being a part of MrMMO's family.  We spent the day at his grandmother's, along with various relatives, and had a fantastic time.  We went out to eat and then had dessert at home -- I ate a ton, but spent most of the day laughing my butt off, so I figure most of the calories got burned off.  Part of what I love about his family is that no one expects anything fancy; they're more focused on having a good time than where they're at or how fancy everything is.  Last Thanksgiving I made a very simple chocolate cream pie, and it was a huge hit with my brothers-in-law (any anyone else who managed to snag a piece before they demolished it), so I made another for Easter.  It's incridibly easy, with great results.

MrsMMO's Chocolate Cream Pie:

• 1 ready-made graham cracker crumb crust (You could make your own, but I don't bother)
• 1 plain Hershey bar (regular size works fine, king-sized is a bit easier to hold and leaves more leftovers for MrMMO to snack on)
• 1 large or two small boxes Jello instant chocolate pudding
• 2 1/2 cups milk (or however much it calls for on the 'pie filling' directions on the pudding box, sometimes it's 2 3/4)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp. sugar

I usually start this about 2 hours before we have to leave for our holiday destination.  Put a large glass or metal mixing bowl in the fridge to chill, and put the Hershey bar into the freezer.  Beat pudding and milk in a mixing bowl and pour into pie crust, then let it set for 30 minutes or so in the fridge.  I usually take a shower or finish any other last-minute preparations at this point.  When the bowl you've chilled in the fridge is nice and cold, whip the cream in it using an electric mixer, adding the sugar slowly once it starts to whip.  When it's nice and fluffy, remove the set pie from the fridge and top it with the whipped cream.  Remove the wrapper from the frozen Hershey bar and use a vegetable peeler to scrape little curls and flakes of chocolate on top of the pie.  It's not an exact science, but as long as you're getting chocolate on the top of the pie, that's all that matters, really.  There will be plenty of Hershey bar left over; I usually just pop it back in the freezer and eat it when the need arises.  If you're going to be driving any sort of distance (it's about 45 minutes from our house to MrMMO's grandmother's house) I recommend popping the whole pie in the freezer for about 30 minutes before leaving, and/or using an insulated bag/cooler for the trip.

The recipe is really simple, but always a hit.  If I can get my digital camera to work (and if I can beat MrMMO's appetite) I'll snap a photo of the last piece and edit it in later.