I first made this pie hopping that it would be an adult version of S'mores. That turned out to be wishful thinking, but the recipe was simple and the pie was tasty, so I held on to the recipe for informal occasions when we had a chocolate lover at the table. The version of the pie you see today was made with semi-sweet chocolate, but I have also made it with milk chocolate and had great results. The marshmallow topping makes this a very sweet dessert, and while I personally find it a bit much, others really enjoy it, so, I've allowed myself to be overruled and continue to make it for those who enjoy something rich and sweet to end a meal. If you decide to try the pie, make sure you have a candy thermometer on hand.You'll need it to test the temperature of the marshmallow cream which gets hot enough to burn. I refrigerate this pie, but bring it to room temperature for serving. It is easy to make and I think those of you who try it will be pleased. While the pie will keep for several days, it is best eaten the day it is made. Here's the recipe.

Dark Chocolate Pie with Toasted Marshmallow Topping

Ingredients:

Crust
1 (9-inch) prepared chocolate or graham cracker crumb crust

Chocolate Filling
2 eggs, at room temperature

3/4 cup 2% milk

3/4 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces

1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

Marshmallow Topping
3 egg whites

3 tablespoons corn syrup

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1) Heat oven to 325 degrees F.

2) To make chocolate filling: Beat eggs in a small bowl; set aside. Combine milk, cream, sugar and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Remove from heat and add vanilla, chocolate and cocoa powder; stir until combined and smooth. Stir about 3/4 cup of chocolate mixture into the beaten eggs; stir chocolate-egg mixture back into saucepan. Pour filling into cooled crust. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until filling is set and glossy. Cool completely on a wire rack.

3) To make marshmallow topping: Bring 1 inch of water to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Combine egg whites, corn syrup, sugar and salt in a metal bowl large enough to sit on top of the saucepan. Whisk constantly in bowl over water until sugar is dissolved and eggs have reached 160 degrees, about 3 to 5 minutes. Pour mixture and vanilla into bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and beat on high speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

4) To finish: Heat broiler. Spoon marshmallow topping on cooled on cooled pie. Broil until topping begins to brown, 1 minute. Yield: 8 to 10 servings.

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