Thanksgiving & Chocolate Chess Pie

Hellooooo, Bubbleland.  Did you have a good Thanksgiving?  I had a great one here in Memphis with my in-laws and then another in Columbia with my fam.  It was some great eating!  My mama makes it look easy.  (And I know it ain't!)

Pretty bird

Oh, yeahhhh

Oh, my goodness, how I look forward to this every year!  Turkey and dressing, mashed potatoes, green beans with bacon, cranberry sauce, broccoli casserole, and black olives.  Never enough room though!  I skipped the the sweet potoatoes and ambrosia for lack of plate space. 

My contribution was a pie.  My mom's chocolate pie is the type of thing that poets write about and sailors dream about at sea.  She usually makes one for Thanksgiving and my dad is a huuuuuge fan of that pie so I thought I'd at least keep the chocolate tradition going.  (Because no one wants to see a grown man cry.)  After some internet perusing, I went with a chocolate chess recipe.

The chocolate graham cracker crust was super-easy in the food processor.  Graham crackers, butter, and sugar.  How could this go wrong?!

So far, so good

I mixed up the filling. 

Before it went in the oven...  In true Bubbleland fashion, it looked bubbly

45 minutes later...

It LOOKS good.  But only a taste will tell

After we ate, I needed a minute before I was pie ready.  I felt like Sugarbear looked.

Maybe if I hold real still they might drop some turkey

And then, the moment of truth.

PIE!

And it was good!  I thought it would turn out ok because I've made pies similar to this before.  But I hate to try out new recipes on such an important occasion.  I was very pleased.  From scratch and didn't even ruin my kitchen.

Chocolate Chess Pie
INGREDIENTS 
For the crust

• 1 sleeve chocolate graham crackers
• 1 stick butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon sugar

For the filling

• 1 stick butter
• 1 (1 ounce) square unsweetened chocolate (or 3 tablespoons cocoa powder)
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. To make the crust, crush the graham crackers into fine crumbs. Add sugar and melted butter and mix until well combined. Push into a 9 inch pie pan to form a thin crust on the bottom and sides. Bake for 8 minutes, remove from oven, and chill until firm and crunchy, about an hour.
3. Lower oven temperature to 325°.
4. To make the filling, heat the butter and chocolate in a saucepan over medium until melted and smooth. Remove from the burner and add the sugar, mixing until well combined. Stir in eggs, vanilla, and salt. Pour the filling into the pie crust and bake for around 45 minutes, until top is puffed and the center is just set.
5. Remove the pie from the oven and allow to cool for at least 20 - 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

It was a great day.

Thanksgiving and every day, I'm so thankful my family & friends.  My pups.  Our home.  All of the good food that makes life more enjoyable.  And most of all, my husband that has built this life with me.

And a nice fire never hurts either.

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.  Bring on the Christmas celebrations!