Just a-Swingin’ Chocolate Pie

My friend, country singer John Anderson, set the musical world on its ear by topping the country charts and the pop charts in the eighties with a hit song that profiled the joys of “just a-swingin’ ” on the front porch with Charlotte Johnson while her brother eats homemade chocolate pie inside. It’s an innocent, sweet Southern notion of courtship I’d love to bring back with this recipe. When you bake this pie, remember that even though summer nights in the South are usually hot, eggs always separate better when they are cold.

1 (9-inch) baked piecrust (page 184), not too brown

1 teaspoon powdered sugar

1 cup plus ¼ cup sugar, divided

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

2½ tablespoons all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon salt

2 large eggs, separated

1 cup evaporated milk

1 (1.5-ounce) Hershey’s Milk Chocolate bar

1 tablespoon butter

1½ tablespoons vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Sprinkle the baked piecrust with the powdered sugar to avoid a soggy crust. in a double boiler, combine 1 cup of the sugar, the cocoa powder, flour, and salt. Stir in the egg yolks and milk. Cook over medium heat. Add the chocolate bar, butter, and vanilla, stirring until the mixture becomes a thick creamy pudding. Pour the filling into the prepared piecrust and allow to set while preparing the meringue. in a clean, dry glass or metal bowl, whip the egg whites until foamy. Gradually whip in the remaining ¼ cup sugar and the cream of tartar and beat until the egg whites make stiff white peaks. Cover the filling completely with the meringue, stacking it higher in the middle. bake for 5 to 6 minutes, or until the meringue has golden brown peaks. Chill before serving.

Makes 6 to 8 servings