Dark Chocolate Chess Pie

When I get stressed, I like to cook. So, when my Grandma passed away a couple of weeks ago, I found myself in the kitchen the next day, cooking away.  I wanted to take some food to my Grandma's house, because that's what Southern women do.  Whenever someone dies, the grieving family is taken food. Sometimes LOTS of food...but hey, who am I to argue with tradition.  Besides, as I've mentioned before, my Grandma was all about food.  Whenever I would tell her about something I had done (an event/wedding/etc), her first question was always "what'd ya have good to eat?"  And obviously, that is the most important thing.

updated pic 11/27/13

I decided to make a couple of things, one was my favorite Lemon Orzo Chicken Soup, b/c chicken soup is comfort food and half my family was sick with colds/allergies), and something chocolate.  Because chocolate is my comfort food!  I decided upon Chocolate Chess Pie, b/c that was one of my husband's grandmother's specialties. It just seemed fitting.  I had pinned the recipe a while back since I had planned on making it for the holidays, and the pictures are definitely drool worthy.  The picture below...not so much.  I completely forgot about taking pictures, given the circumstances, but happened to remember to get this one, when I saw the last lonely piece of pie sitting in a pan with a couple slices of coconut pie! (I've since added some updated pics!)

(Instagram pic...I am under kimslittlelife if interested in following)

new pic 11/27/13 with pastry pie crust

Dark Chocolate Chess Pie 

Recipe slightly adapted from A Little Bit Crunchy...

1 stick unsalted butter

3 tablespoons Hershey's Dark Cocoa
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

*Crust - Store bought chocolate graham cracker crust (see original recipe for homemade crust)

Melt the butter and cocoa together over medium heat.  Pour into a bowl and whisk in the sugar, eggs, vanilla and salt.  When the crust has cooled for 20 minutes, Pour the filling into the crust and bake in a 325 F oven for about 40 minutes, until the top is set. (Some people like Chocolate Chess Pie very ooey-gooey. I prefer mine to be fully set...it is delicious either way!)

*The Chocolate Chess Pie I am familiar with has always been in a pastry shell pie crust.  I wanted to try the graham cracker crust, but I didn't really care for it.  I think an Oreo pie crust would be good.  Because you can never go wrong with Oreos, right?!

Verdict?  Several family members said it was delicious.  One of my uncle's actually used the phrase "award-winning"...and we don't sugar-coat things in my family (correction, we sugar coat everything, just not our words! Yep, we believe in brutal honesty.)  Personally, other than the crust not being quite what I would like, I thought it was delicious.  And that last piece?  I ate it.

I'm linking up over at Something Swanky, What's Cooking, Love?, Five Little Chefs, Bloom Designs Online,   Miz Helen's Country Cottage, A Little Nosh, The Mandatory Mooch, Seven Alive, Michelle's Tasty Creations,