Bittersweet Sea Salt Chocolate Pie

How we make it.

*serves 8*

1 – 9 inch pie crust, baked and cooled
1 cup sugar
¼ cup corn starch
3 cups whole milk
4 egg yolks
7 ounces bittersweet chocolate (78% cocoa +), chopped fine
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon coffee
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon Maldon sea salt, plus a sprinkle more

Bake and cool a 9-inch pie crust per package instructions. Set aside. In a medium pot whisk together sugar and cornstarch. Turn heat on medium-high and whisk in milk and egg yolks. Cook on medium high heat until thickened, whisking constantly, about 7 minutes. Don't let it boil. If it starts boiling, lower heat. Should simmer bubble, not boil bubble. Once simmer bubbling and thickened to the texture of pudding remove from heat. Stir in chopped chocolate, vanilla, coffee, butter and sea salt until combined. Pour chocolate mixture into pie crust and refrigerate for several hours until cold and set. Top with more sea salt and serve cold.

Why we make it.

One of my wonderful neighbors asked me to make a dinner for six to celebrate her son's birthday. Delighted, I said. What would your son like on his birthday? He loves a good tenderloin. And a chocolate dessert. Easy enough. Except I've recently had to fire my Nana from her bourbon brownie post. She gives me too much attitude and is not big on following directions. She fought with me at a soccer game today about whether frozen pre-made pie crusts exist. Of course they do. You're fired. Unable to make a bourbon brownie for a birthday party that includes children, my neighbor and I both immediately thought of chocolate pie. Easy enough! I'd make it myself. I came across a Ree Drummond recipe and made the assumed sugar reductions. A third less sugar. A higher cocoa content chocolate choice. Much more salt. Sea salt, in fact. And a splash of coffee in the school of Ina Garten chocolatier-ing. All lusciously poured into a baked and cooled pre-made frozen pie crust, NANA, to be delivered tomorrow to my wonderful friends for a special Sunday supper birthday celebration. And that's why I made it.