Page 167 - United States of Pie

Chocolate Cream Pie

Chocolate cream pie is one of those desserts you can make
entirely from ready-made store-bought ingredients. A frozen pie
crust, a box of instant pudding mix, a large tub of whipped topping,
and voilà—dessert is ready! The resulting pie may even be delicious,
much in the same way that a box of mac ’n’ cheese, with its packet

of neon dehydrated cheese, is—it holds a soft spot in your heart but
leaves a hard lump in your stomach. But let me tell you, dessert can
be better—infinitely better!
Taken on their own, there’s nothing special about the ingredients
that make up this pie, but together they are magic. The crumbly
vanilla wafer crust is salty-sweet. The chocolate pudding, made with
both unsweetened cocoa powder and semisweet chocolate, brings

depth and complexity. Real whipped cream, silky and ethereal, ties it
all together. Garnish with chocolate curls, if desired. One bite and
you’ll be sold. You won’t even miss all of those boxes—though your
recycling bin might.