Ultimate Chocolate Cream Pie

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon margarine
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 9-inch baked pie crust

Directions

1. 1

   In top of double-boiler mix sugar, flour and salt.

2. 2

   Whisk in 1 cup of the milk until smooth.

3. 3

   Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring briskly.

4. 4

   Continue to stir and let boil until smoothly thickened (about 2 minutes).

5. 5

   Remove from heat.

6. 6

   With fork, beat eggs with remaining 1 cup of milk.

7. 7

   Gradually stir into hot mixture.

8. 8

   Return to heat and bring to a boil.

9. 9

   Stir and boil until mixture thickens (about 1 minute).

10. 10

    Remove from heat and stir in margarine and vanilla.

11. 11

    Add 1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips and stir until melted.

12. 12

    Spoon into prepared pie crust and cool.

13. 13

    Serve with real whipped cream.

14. 14

    For banana cream pie, omit chocolate chips, and slice 2 or 3 bananas into bottom of prepared pie crust and top with the pudding.

15. 15

    For coconut cream pie, omit chocolate chips, and stir in 1/2 cup of coconut.

16. 16

    I've never tried this, but it's on my list of things to do: stir in 1/2 cup of peanut butter (or peanut butter chips, I guess) for peanut butter cream pie (omitting the chocolate chips).