First of all let me say that this is a very easy chocolate pie and the filling comes together really quickly. I chose not to make a homemade crust and it was very delicious. But something went very wrong and you should know about it so that it will not happen to you!
My mind is always working on something else that I can add to my class that would be beneficial. Finishing up our egg and dairy unit I was left with two gallons of skim milk and four dozen eggs. What could I do with them? Chocolate pudding seemed the perfect answer topped with whipped cream. Especially since several students thought that beaten egg whites were the same as whipped cream. So a demonstration whipping cream was needed. I found several recipes using corn starch as a thickener. This would be a new ingredient for discussion.
It is ironic that the recipe I finally chose contained no eggs and used whole milk. It was not what I intended, but it sounded great so I had to try it. I used skim milk paired with half and half for the whole milk. 3/4 cup of skim milk plus 1/4 cup of half and half to equal 1 cup of whole milk.
Since the pudding has to be refrigerated for two hours I had to prepare one at home for the first class. Now think about this I have been making banana pudding for two days and the pudding takes about twenty minutes to come together. I thought this pudding would take about the same amount of time. Boy, was I wrong! The pudding cooks very quickly and was done before my pie crust was out of the oven. In the meantime, as the pudding cooled a thin skin formed on the top which I quickly I whisked it until smooth. I guess I probably did this about 4 times not knowing this would ruin my reputation. I really thought I was doing good making sure the pudding stayed nice and smooth. When the crust was cooled I poured the thickened pudding into the shell and covered it with wax paper to keep a skin from forming. Then placed it in the refrigerator for my first block class to taste the next day.
I was so excited the next day because the pudding I tasted was heavenly and I could not wait to let my students sample it. I showed my class how to make the crust, then the pudding. And magically I pulled the pie filling and crust out of the refrigerator that I had made the day before and noticed a lot of jiggling! What was going on?
Now to the whipped cream which my students were so confused about. I think it is because the only whipped cream they know comes from a can or is frozen in a plastic container!
Tips everyone should know about whipping cream:
- Use a narrow bowl with high sides
- Put bowl and beaters in the freezer for about 30 minutes
- Use about 2 Tablespoons of powdered sugar for each cup of cream
- Add sugar after the cream starts to thicken
- Beat until peaks form that will stand up
- Remember that there is a fine line between whipping cream just right and churning it into butter. There is no turning back for over whipped cream. Just throw it out and start over.
I topped the pudding pie with a beautiful whipped heavy cream. I cut into the pie and put it on a plate to take a picture and it ran as if it were chocolate soup. What in the world was wrong? This should nice and thick. A perfect piece of chocolate pie. Well, I served it with no complaints, but I was thoroughly disgusted with the results. I went back to the blog where I got the recipe and read through almost 200 comments until found someone else had soupy results. And after googling many things I found the answer.
This is the lesson learned: Corn starch will thin out if heated at very a high temperature or if stirred after the thickening process. So that is what I did, I continued to stir the pudding after it thickened. So now you know Do not stir even if you think it needs stirring. Check this out for more information.
Chocolate Pudding Pie – Six fantastic servings
Adapted from The Smitten Kitchen or Epicurious
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups of whole milk ( I used 1 1/2 cups of skim milk + 1/2 cup half and half)
- 4 ounces buttersweet chocolate ( not more than 60% cacao) I used Ghirardelli broken in wrapper into small pieces
- 1 teaspoon pur vanilla extract
First bake a 9 in pie shell. I made 3 . Two were Pillsbury refrigerated that I put in my pie plate. Another was a Ritz deep dish frozen pie shell. Both worked great. Go for making your own. I just did not have the time, but I do not think that the taste was sacrificed. The shells should be cool before filling them with the pudding.
Pudding:
Whisk together cornstarch, sugar, cocoa powder and salt in a 2 qt. saucepan. I used a double boiler. Whisk in the milk and bring to boil over medium heat(if you are using a double boiler use high heat to keep the water boiling). Bring the pudding to a boil and boil for two minutes. If using a double boiler it will not come to a boil just thicken beautifully. Remove from heat and stir in Chocolate and vanilla. Pour immediately into a cooled pie shell. Remember not to over stir because it will cause the pudding to thin out!!! Cover with wax paper to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Just before serving, prepare whipped cream. Beat 1 1/2 cups of heavy whipping cream until thick then gradually add about 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar. Whip until nice and thick. The cream will hold a peak when the beaters are lifted. I like to top the pie after I cut it. It is easier to make a pretty slice. The leftover whipped cream can be left in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and you can bring it back to life by beating very hard with a wire whisk.
Just a note I kept the pie in the refrigerator for four days and topped with whipped cream and it was still delicious. The crust was just not as crisp.
Here is the picture of the second pie that I made. I just found it very difficult to cut with the whipped topping on it.
Enjoy,
The Teacher Cooks
The Teacher Cooks 
So glad you supplied the answer. I was racking my brain trying to figure it out until the very end. Who would ever know this about cornstarch? Certainly not two home ec. teachers!!!
These are great tips! Over-stirring can be deadly, for sure.
This sounds really good! I make all my puddings with cornstarch or wheat starch and no eggs (this is how it is made in the Lebanese cuisine) but i have never attempted a chocolate pudding! This will be next on the list.
I have a confession. (don’t tell) I LOVE that skin that forms on the top of chocolate pudding. When I am making it for the family, I just pick it up by the center and eat it then and there!
Now if I am doing it for company, I will be good and proper and put plastic wrap on it.
I really would like that piece of pie you just cut…
i feel bad for folks who’ve never tasted freshly whipped cream–that’s some mighty fine stuff! and also, is there anything more icky than that film that forms on the pudding? icky, i say. 🙂
i learned corn starch will thin out if heated to a high temperature.
I learned you should not stir the pudding after it has already gone through the thickening process.
Not only did I learn to love chocolate pudding pie, but I also learned that if you over stir the pudding, it will thin out.
I learned that covering the pudding with wax paper will help prevent a skin from forming.
I learned that you can substitute half and half plus skim milk in place of whole milk.
i learned that you have to put the chocolate filling in the refrigerator to make set and sift enough to cut.
I learned that if egg yolk gets mixed in with the egg whites, the whites won’t fluff up.
I learned that when it has the thin skin formed on the top not to whisk so much because that will not make it hard enough to be pie.
I learn how to make whip cream from scratch and it was way better than the can stuff
i learned that your not supposed to whisk the pudding so much when there is a thin layer at the top.
I learned that you have to let the pie sit in the refrigerator for atleast two hours!
I didn’t know you could make butter from whipped cream.
I didnt know you could make whip cream from scratch. You shouldnt stir the pudding after it has gone through the thickening process.
i learned the corn starch will thicken if you dont stir after you turn the heat off and it will be thin if you stir a lot and at a high temperature
i learned how to make whip cream from scratch
i learned ways to make the pudding not runny
It was interesting learning that if you stir the custard too much, it makes the cornstarch break up and the custard not settle correctly.
Corn starch will thin out if heated to a high temperature; i dont like chocolate to much though
i learned that you add the sugar after the cream starts to thicken.
I love this! I learned that you do not have to use pie crust you can also use graham cracker crust.
I learned that you can make your own crust but I think it is best when you buy it from the store!
i learned in class that if you overmix the cornstarch the pudding will cause it to end up like soup 😛
I learned how to make homemade whip cream!
i learned how to make home made pudding without having to go out and buy it when i can just make it myself.
I learned there is a just a certain amount of stirring to be done with both the whipped cream and the custard.
i learned if you put the bowl & beaters that you are using to prepare the chocolate pudding it will be much easier to beat & handle.
this was good! I learned that you can make pudding pies.
Tori doesn’t like anything that “jiggles” but i loved this recipe. you can taste the cocoa really well.
i didn’t know you had to cover it with wax paper to prevent a skin from forming
i learned that you don’t have to go to the grocery store to get pudding. It can be made at home, easily.
i learned that 3/4 cups of skim milk plus 1/4 cup of half and half equals 1 cup of whole milk.
I learned not to continue stirring if you do the pudding will be like soup!!
i learned that over stirring the pudding will mess up how thick it will be.
Corn starch will thin out if heated at very a high temperature or if stirred after the thickening starts.
This recipe contained no eggs and whole milk, which I think is odd in baking.
This looks good, you can substitute the pie crust with cookies to make it even sweeter
I learned not to stir too long or the pie will become soupy
Corn starch will thin out if heated at a very high temperature or if stirred after the thickening process. It will become soupy.
Lesson learned-
Corn starch thins out if heated at a high temperature or if stirred when it’s trying to thicken.
Do not stir even if you think it needs to be.
I didn’t know that you add sugar after the cream starts to thicken.
I learned you should not stir the pudding after it has already gone through the thickening process.
I learned not to stir the pudding after it has already gone through the thickening process.
I learned that whipping cream is a delicate process and if you over whip your cream then it’s ruined and you need to just throw it away and start over.
I learned not to over stir because it will cause the pudding to thin out
I realize that the ingredients do not always need stirred even if it seems they do. Don’t stir after the corn starch thickens.
I learn how to whisk together cornstarch, sugar, cocoa powder and salt in a 2 qt. saucepan.
I learned how to avoid soupy pies and even the littlest thing u do wrong can turn into a big mess
Corn starch will thin out if heated at very a high temperature or if stirred after the thickening process.
It looks like it all turned out good in the end.
I didnt know that corn starch would thin out that is a very good lessoned learned.
i would have made many more mistakes than stirring too much it still looked great
I learned that pudding has to sit a very long time for it to settle.
I didnt know that over stirring pudding will thin it out
I learned not to stir the pudding after it has Refrigerated or it can ruin your entire dish.
I definitely want to try this chocolate pudding pie one day. Also, I learned that the pudding has to be refridgerated for two hours.
i learned that 3/4 cup of skim milk plus 1/4 cup of half and half equals 1 cup of whole milk
i didn’t know that over stiring is such a bad thing!
This recipe seems to take alot of stirring and is the crust already premade or you made it
Now i know how you can make homemade whip cream !.
I learned to not “over whip” whipped cream!
I learned not to over stir because it will make the pudding to thin out
i learned that you should let the pie shell cool before adding the pudding in them, haha seems like a great recipe (:
Wow I always thought cornstarch as a thickener and now I know not to over whisk it or it will be runny and like pudding at all! Also i know whipping cream is a lot better than that canned stuff!
Wow I always thought cornstarch as a thickener and now I know not to over whisk it or it will be runny and like pudding at all!
if stirred to much, pudding will thin out
i learned that cornstarch will thin out when heated at a very high temperature.
i didnt know that if you put cornstarch in the pudding and stir it to much that it will thin out the pudding!
Oh my goodness! This looks so good ! Now that I know the recipe, im going to make this all the time. I learned that something that looks so great doesn’t take long to make at all!
I learned that cornctarh thins when it is heated so don’t stir it even if you think it needs to be stirred. This can make all the difference in your dessert
Whipped cream is not beaten egg whites!
i learned not to stir the pudding too much or it will be runny ):
I learned that if you over stir the pudding, it will thin out.
i learned that this recipe contains no eggs and used whole milk.
I learned that you don’t need to stir much or it will become soupy and not cook right
I learned when making whipped cream for this pie you should use a narrow bowl with high sides.
i learned corn starch will thin out if heated to a high temperature!!
Ahhh chocolate, pudding , and cake…some of my favorite words.I learned that when it thickens you should stop stirring.
i learned to not over stir or it will thin out pudding
I learned that if you do not mix completely then you will have lumps of cornstarch in your pudding.
What’s with all the “I learned” responses??
As an assignment my students have to tell me what they learned from preparing the food .
I don’t see in the recipe where to add the semi sweet chocolate.
Thanks Lorie! Just fixed it . Add with vanilla. Have a great Thanksgiving!