#BookClubCookbookCC: Chocolat Roundup and Pie!

So.
It's been a month since I posted the invitation to make hot chocolate, and read Joanne Harris' book, Chocolat.  I'm picking the book up today from the library.
It's been a crazy month here, where we moved, school ended, I packed and moved to a new school, and I have quickly slipped into the entropy that invariably arrives with the first week of summer vacation.
But never fear!  The members of the Book Club Cookbook Cooking Crew have a variety of chocolate recipes for you to enjoy!

Renee from Tortillas and Honey made Florentines.  I've never eaten them, or heard of them, but now I want to make them!  This almond cookie coated with chocolate looks amazing.  I would add the orange zest.

Andrea at Adventures in All Things Food made gorgeous Pots de Creme.  My favourite chocolate French masterpiece is Mousse au Chocolat, but this would probably be a close second...along with any other way I can think of to use chocolate!

Erin at the Spiffy Cookie decided against sweating and drinking, and turned her hot chocolate into Hot Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats.  These would be perfect for your next BBQ...or Tuesday...when you're by yourself and have a need for sugar.

Emily at Life on Food decided to marry 2 of my favourite flavours:  peanut butter and chocolate into these cute little Chocolate Peanut Butter Graham Cracker Sandwiches.  Obviously, these are to be dunked in the hot chocolate so we end up on a chocolate high for the rest of the day!  Count me in!

Sarah of the Pajama Chef also chose a no-sweat, no-bake recipe featuring white chocolate:  Avalanche Cookies. I now want these too with their feature of mini marshmallows and peanut butter.  So many cookies.  So little time.

Finally, Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm made a beautiful Black and White Cake.  I love cake.  There aren't enough reasons to make or eat it, honestly.















But what did I make?  My own favourite dessert, or did I guess someone else's as Vianne would do?  I didn't really guess.  I made J's favourite.  I present to you now from the April 2008 issue of Everyday Food, Chocolate Merinuge Pie:

Ingredients:
1 - 9" pie crust, blind baked and cooled
1 c sugar
3 Tbsp cocoa powder
2 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp cornstarch
1- 12 oz can evaporated milk
3 eggs, separated
3 Tbsp butter
1 tsp vanilla

Method:
1.  In a saucepan, whisk together 2/3 c sugar, cocoa, flour and 1 Tbsp of cornstarch.  Gradually whisk in milk and egg yolks.  Place pan over medium heat and whisk constantly until the first bubbles form.  Reduce heat to low and whisk for 1 minute before removing from heat.
2.  Immediately add butter and vanilla.  Whisk until smooth and glossy.  Pour into cooled pie shell and cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface.  Refrigerate until completely cooled, at least 2 hours.
3.  Heat oven to 450F.  In a clean bowl, beat egg whites with remaining 1/3 c of sugar and teaspoon of cornstarch until stiff peaks form.  Remove plastic wrap from pie, and spread with meingue to the edges.  Bake at 450F for 7 or 8 minutes, until merigue is lightly browned before serving.

From Everyday Food, April 2008

Oh look!  It's my old kitchen.  Sigh.  I miss my kitchen.  This is essentially a cooked chocolate pudding with a meringue topping.  The chocolate was dense and so good.

I was afraid it would be too much, but it perfectly fit in my pie shell.  The result was somewhat gelatinous, but intensely chocolate.  I think I ultimately like the King Arthur Flour recipe for Chocolate Cream Pie better.

But isn't this pretty?  Unfortunately, I have no pictures of the pie sliced.  It came out beautifully.  That would most often be my excuse for having not taken a picture of a single slice.

I'm still looking forward to the book, and also to reading this month's selection, Corelli's Mandolin.  It's the last month of the #BookClubCookbookCC!  Won't you join us?