Chocolate Meringue Pie

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                            FOOD FUNNY
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Here's a good one from Rosemary Zwick:

Little Tom rushes home from school. He invades the fridge and is
scooping out some cherry vanilla ice cream when his mother enters the
kitchen. She says, "Put that away Tom. You can't have ice cream now.
It's too close to supper time. Go outside and play."

Tom whimpers and says, "There's no one to play with."

Trying to placate him, she says, "OK. I'll play with you. What do you want to play?"

"I wanna play 'Mommy and Daddy,'" Tom replies.

Trying not to register surprise, and to further appease him, she says,
"Fine, I'll play. What do I do?"

Tom says, "You go up to the bedroom and lie down as if you're taking a
nap." Figuring that she can easily control the situation, Mom goes
upstairs. Tom, acting a bit cocky, swaggers down the hall and opens the
utility closet. He puts on his fathers old fishing hat. As he starts up
the stairs, he notices a cigarette butt in the ashtray on the end table.
He picks it up and slips it in the corner of his mouth. At the top of
the stairs he moves to the bedroom doorway. His mother raises her head
and asks, "What do I do now?"

In a gruff manner, Tom says, "Get yourself downstairs and get that kid some ice cream!"

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                            TODAY'S RECIPE
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The meringue pie in general seems to be an American invention, with
lemon meringue pies making their debut sometime in the 19th century.
Other fillings followed, and my favorite is the chocolate meringue pie
that is still to be found in restaurants and diners all over the country.

Chocolate Meringue Pie

2 cups (500 ml) sugar
3 Tbs (45 ml) cornstarch (cornflour)
3 cups (750 ml) evaporated milk
3 oz (80 g) unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
4 egg yolks, lightly beaten
1 Tbs (15 ml) butter
2 tsp (10 ml) vanilla extract
1/4 tsp (1 ml) salt
1 9-inch (23 cm) baked pie shell
4 egg whites
1/4 tsp (1 ml) cream of tartar

Combine 1 1/2 cups (375 ml) of the sugar and the cornstarch in a
saucepan. Blend in the milk gradually. Add the chocolate and bring the
mixture to a boil over moderate heat, stirring frequently, and boil for
1 minute. Blend half the chocolate mixture into the egg yolks, then add
the egg mixture to the pan and cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, vanilla, and salt. Allow
the filling to cool, stirring occasionally to keep it smooth. Pour into
the baked pie shell. Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until
foamy. Add the remaining 1/2 cup (125 ml) sugar and continue beating
until the egg whites are stiff and glossy. Spread the meringue over the
pie, making sure that it touches the pie shell all around. Bake in a
preheated 350F (180C) oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until the tips of the
meringue are browned. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving.
Makes one 9-inch (23 cm) pie to serve 6 to 8.
Received on Sun Mar 7 19:21:51 2010