Chocolate Meringue Pie

Pies are not my forte. I rarely make them, and frankly, they're not my favorite to eat, either. However, I saw that Fika med Eleonore, a fairly new-to-me Swedish blog, had a cookbook challenge where she wanted everyone to try out a new recipe for - you guessed it, pie - I knew I wanted to join in. I leafed through all my new cookbooks (I gave myself a large stack for christmas) and settled on a chocolate pie from The Homesick Texan cookbook.

I first attempted the pie dough recipe from the book, which intriguingly uses oil rather than butter. I thought I'd chill it overnight, but apparently that was a bad move- it separated and turned into a mess. So, I turned to a recipe in Martha Stewart's Pies & Tarts, but I'm not repeating it here as I wasn't super successful. As usual, I should add. I never seem to make really good pie crusts, but again, I don't really like any pie crusts... Do you have a fool-proof crust recipe? I'd love to try it, so please share!

The whole thing turned out to be pretty good! Not great, but good. My meringue shrank a lot, which was sad - it was so pretty when I took it out, but it seemed to deflate as it cooled. Tips on how to avoid this will be greatly appriciated!

Chocolate Meringue Pie
Serves 8-10

an unbaked pie shell - use your favorite

175 g sugar
5 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
4 tbsp cocoa powder
2 egg yolks
375 ml milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp butter

for the meringue:
2 egg whites
pinch of salt
4 tbsp sugar

Start by baking the pie shell for 15-20 minutes at 175°C. It should be lightly golden.

Meanwhile, make the filling:
Whisk together all ingredients except for vanilla and butter in a small saucepan. Cook on medium heat, for about 7-10 minutes, while stirring. The filling should get really thick, as it won't thicken more in the oven.

Remove from heat, and add the vanilla and butter.

Make the meringue - whisk the egg whites with a small pinch of salt until they thicken. Add the sugar, and whisk into glossy, stiff peaks. (This is not actually what the book says - she says to whisk the meringue until stiff, then fold in the sugar.)

Pour the filling into the pre-baked pie shell, then spread the meringue on top. (I piped mine but that's optional.) Bake until the meringue is golden, 10-15 minutes.

Recipe in Swedish:
Chokladmarängpaj