During the fall, and especially close to Thanksgiving, my baking goes into overdrive.

My husband has fond memories of Thanksgivings spent at his grandparents house when he was growing up. His grandmother would begin baking cakes and pies a couple of days before in preparation for the whole family coming to visit. He once mentioned to me that his favorite was the chocolate pie his grandmother would make and how he would look forward to it every year. He never had a chance to get her recipe and was afraid that it was lost forever when she passed away. I began trying to replicate her chocolate pie recipe several years ago, and he says that this one tastes just like hers. We have created a new family holiday tradition built on one from my husbands childhood, and I would like to share it with you today. I hope you will enjoy this rich, delicious chocolate pie as much as we do.

Pie Filling Ingredients:

2 cups white sugar

5 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 egg yolks

1 stick of butter (1/2 cup)

1 frozen deep dish pie shell

4 egg whites

1/4 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 350*

In a saucepan whisk together sugar, cocoa powder and flour.

Add in evaporated milk and vanilla, and stir well.

Add egg yolks and stir well.

Lastly, add butter.

On low heat, stir constantly until butter has melted. (By the time the butter has melted, the sugar will also have dissolved and won’t look so “grainy.”)

Place the pie shell on a cookie sheet, pour the filling into the unbaked pie shell, and carefully place the cookie sheet with the pie on the center rack of your oven.

Bake for 50 minutes to one hour depending on your oven. The pie is done when it is no longer “wobbly.”

Remove pie from oven.

Next, make the meringue.

Beat the egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form.

Slowly add the sugar, beating constantly.

Spread the meringue on the pie using a spatula.

Place the pie (still on the cookie sheet) back in the oven for 10 minutes until the meringue turns golden.