Dark Chocolate Cream Pie

Make Ahead: The pie, without the whipped cream topping, can be baked up to 1 day ahead.
- Perfect Piecrust for a single-crust pie
- 3 cups half-and-half
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 4 large egg yolks
- 4 ounces high-quality bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
Instructions:
Everyone knows that pumpkin, apple, and mincemeat pies are Thanksgiving favorites. I was surprised to hear how many of my friends included chocolate cream pie in their lineup. The chocolate flavor, of course, will be impacted by the brand of chocolate used. I prefer chocolate with a cacao content of about 60 percent, an amount that is often listed on the label.
- Following the instructions, line a 9-inch pie pan with the pie dough and flute the edges. Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Freeze for 20 minutes.
- Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and place a baking sheet on the rack. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
-  Remove the plastic wrap and line the pastry shell with aluminum foil, then fill with pie weights, dried beans, or raw rice. Bake on the hot baking sheet until the pastry seems set, about 12 minutes. Lift up and remove the foil and weights. Continue baking until the pie shell is golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes longer. Transfer to a wire cake rack and cool completely.
- When the pie shell has cooled, in a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat 2½ cups half-and-half, the granulated sugar, and the salt, stirring often, to dissolve the sugar, until tiny bubbles appear around the edges. Remove from the heat.
- In a small bowl, sprinkle the cornstarch over the remaining ½ cup half-and-half and whisk until dissolved. Whisk the yolks in a medium bowl, and gradually whisk in the cornstarch mixture. Gradually whisk in the hot half-andhalf mixture, and return to the rinsed-out saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a flat wooden spatula (to keep the custard from scorching on the bottom of the saucepan), until the custard comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Remove from the heat, add the chocolate, butter, and ½ teaspoon of the vanilla, and stir until the chocolate melts completely.
- Pour into the baked pie shell and smooth the top. Butter a piece of wax paper and place, buttered side down, directly on the surface of the filling. Pierce a few slits in the wax paper with the tip of a sharp knife (this keeps a skin from forming on the filling). Cool completely. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Just before serving, in a chilled medium bowl, using a handheld electric mixer set at high speed, beat the heavy cream with the confectioners’ sugar and the remaining ½ teaspoon vanilla just until stiff. Spread the whipped cream over the filling. Serve chilled