Chocolate Cream Pie

This is my idea of pie. No finicky, shortening-filled flaky pastry to mix, chill, roll out, chill, blind bake, and cool. Just a simple chocolate crust I came up with after looking at other crust recipes; more like a shortbread crust. Add the chocolate cream filling and some chocolate buttercream piping decorations, and you've got yourself a wickedly rich and simple chocolate pie! 

Easy Chocolate Pie Shell
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 Tbsp. light brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup hard margarine, cut into pieces
3 Tbsp. cold water

Preheat oven to 400◦F. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour cocoa, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Using a pastry bender (or two knives or your fingers) cut in the margarine until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle water over top, work into a ball. Turn out onto a piece of waxed paper, and gently press it out into a circle, slightly larger than your 9-inch pie plate, using your hands. Gently lift it into the pie plate and press it down to fit. Prick with the tines of a fork all over. Bake for 10 minutes until firm.

Chocolate Cream Pie
1 baked 9-inch pie crust
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
1 can (2 cups) 2% evaporated milk
1 cup fresh 1% milk
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 Tbsp. hard margarine, cubed

In a medium saucepan, mix the sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt. Gradually add the milk, stirring until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Boil for one minute until very thick.
Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and butter. Spoon into prepared crust. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pie filling, cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for at least six hours or overnight. Garnish as desired, and keep pie stored in the fridge.

West Side Publishing. "Hershey's Cocoa Cream Pie." Recipe. Hershey's Classic Recipes, Lincolnwood Illinois: Publications International, Limited, 2009. 295.