Chocolate Cream Pie

 One of the two pies I make each Thanksgiving. 

Chocolate Cream Pie

1 pre-baked oreo crust
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1/3 cup cornstarch
3/4 tsp salt
2 1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup whipping cream
3 tbsp butter
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
sweetened whipped cream

Stir together sugar, cocoa, cornstarch and salt in medium saucepan. Gradually add milk and cream, stirring until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Boil 1 minute.

Remove from heat; stir in butter and vanilla. Pour into prepared crust. Press plastic wrap directly onto surface, being careful to remove all air bubbles. Refrigerate 4-6 hours. Top with whipped cream and oreo pieces.

Triple Chocolate Cheesecake

I only make this once every other year or so, so I never remember the adjustments I make and decided to write them down this time.

• 1 package (9 ounces) chocolate wafer cookies (or 1/2 pkg family size oreos or 2/3 pkg regular size oreos)
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 3 bars (8 ounces each) cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup + 2 TBSP sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted
• Rich Chocolate Ganache, for topping
• 1/2 C heavy ceam
• 4 oz semisweet chocolate
• 1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Assemble a 9-inch springform pan with the raised side of the bottom facing down.
• 2. In a food processor, pulse cookies until finely ground. Add butter, and pulse to moisten. Transfer to prepared pan, and press crumbs firmly and evenly into the bottom. Place pan on a rimmed baking sheet; bake 10 minutes, and set aside.
• 3. Wipe out bowl and blade of food processor. Add cream cheese, sugar, and salt; blend until smooth. With motor running, add eggs, then sour cream, and finally chocolate; blend filling until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
• 4. Wrap bottom half of springform pan in foil, using one long piece, the length of the circumference of the pan. Pour in filling; place in a roasting pan. Place roasting pan in oven. Pour in boiling water to come halfway up side of springform pan. Bake just until set, 1 hour. Turn oven off, and let cheesecake sit 1 hour in oven, without opening (this helps prevent cracking).
• 5. Remove foil. Run a thin knife around the edge of the pan (this helps prevent cracking, too); leave in pan, and cool completely on wire rack. (After 1 hour of cooling, gently loosen pan edges to release any trapped water. Cover loosely and refrigerate, at least 6 hours or up to overnight.
• 6. Prepare Chocolate Ganache: Mix cream and chocolate in glass measuring cup. Heat in microwave at 10 second intervals stirring after each heating, until smooth and melted, about 1-2 min.
• 7.Unmold cheesecake. Spread ganache in center of cheesecake; let set before serving.
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A modest proposal

For a Halloween-themed dessert:

Ingredients:
1 20 oz. bag of assorted Mars candy bars
1 10 oz. bag of M&Ms

Unwrap all the candy bars. Dump them unceremoniously into a heavily buttered 8-inch cake pan. Create the top crust by dumping all the M&Ms on top. Bake at 110 F for 30 minutes. Allow the dessert to rest at room temperature until solid. Serve with a garnish of Karo syrup (optional).