Chocolate Chess Pie

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Then begin making the crust. Mix together all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Cut the butter into pea-sized pieces over the bowl, or pulse together using a food processor. Add the ice water, a tablespoon at a time, mixing with a wooden spoon rather than your hand to help keep the dough cool, until fairly well mixed (it's okay if there's still some small blobs of butter). Grab a handful of the dry crumbly dough mixture and squeeze. If it holds together you don't need to add anymore water. Roll the dough out until it is about 1 centimeter thick, then place it over a well-greased and lightly floured 8-inch pie dish (mine measures about 2 inches deep). Trim the edges and use the remaining dough to create a decorative border by cutting out shapes, (or just place the remaining dough in a freezer-safe plastic bag and freeze for when you want to make another pie). Place the crust in the refrigerator.

Step 2

To make the filling, mix together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cornmeal, and cocoa powder. Add the eggs and mix until fully incorporated. Then mix in the evaporated milk, butter, and vanilla extract until completely combined.

Step 3

Pour the filling into the prepared pie crust and bake for 40-50 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is set. (If the crust is browning too quickly, cover the edges with tin foil but don't let the tin foil touch the filling). Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes before slicing and serving.