Friday is PIE DAY!

My three requirements for pie today.

1.single crust

2.existing recipe

3. must contain chocolate

It's been a very busy and productive week, so I wasn't feeling much energy for anything too fancy or experimental for today's pie. Also, it's been a very busy and productive week, so I deserve some chocolate.

This recipe from Ken Haedrich's cookbook, 'Pie', caught my eye because the chocolate of choice was cocoa powder, not the usual chips or bittersweet found in many pie recipes.

Chocolate Walnut Pie

adapted from 'Pie' by Ken Haedrich

9" single pie crust

2/3 cup dark corn syrup

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups chopped walnuts

-combine corn syrup and butter in small saucepan, and heat on low until the butter is melted

(do not let the mixture come to a boil-keep in low....)

-set aside to cool

-in a large bowl, combine dry ingredients

-add eggs and vanilla, then beat until well blended

-add nuts to mixture

-pour into prepared pie shell

-bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes

-cool to room temp and serve (or chill before serving-your choice)

This certainly satisfies any chocolate craving you might have. It is very much like a brownie in a pie crust. This strikes me as a bit odd because one of the only other recipes I've made out of this cookbook was also remarkably like a cake in a pie shell. Hmmmmm.....maybe Ken really wanted to write a cake cookbook. Perhaps the title should be "Pies for Cake Lovers."  Who knows. But, I do know that this is mighty tasty, whatever it is-brownie, pie, or some sort of hybrid. The cocoa powder keeps it from tasting too syrupy sweet, and the crust is a nice palette cleanser between the rich chocolate bites. I'm going to stick this pie in the fridge and have a big chilly slice with a glass of milk as a bedtime snack!