Friday, December 1, 2023

Aletta's Chocolate Cream Pie #LitHappens

 Creamy deep dark chocolate pudding in a flaky crust topped with a fluffy meringue.  


This recipe was shared by the author of Christmas at Carnton, our Lit Happens selection this month.....
Christmas at Carnton

I am hosting our Lit Happens discussion this month and invited the others to join me in reading this Historical Fiction Romance I got as a present for Christmas last year.  

This novel is historical fiction set in Tennessee during the Civil War.  It reads like a Hallmark Movie.  I could see the characters in my imagination saying their lines.  It is the story of a young woman, Aletta, whose husband was killed in action during the Civil War.  She is left with a young son, expecting a second child, has just lost her job and her home is in foreclosure.  

Aletta is not alone.  In fact, there are more women than not in the same predicament.  She heads to Carnton House to apply for a position as a cook.

Jake is a sharpshooter who has suffered a debilitating injury in battle.  He seems to have recovered physically but the injury affected his vision. He is sent to Carnton House to assist the Women's Relief Society in raising money to help the troops and the war effort. 

This is a love story and pretty predictable.  I loved many of the characters, especially Tempy, the enslaved cook that Aletta is hired to assist, and Mrs. McGavock, the owner of the Carnton House.

Chocolate Cream Pie

The author shared several recipes at the end of the book that had been included in the body of the story.  The first introduced was Aletta's Chocolate Cream Pie.  I made this pie as one of the desserts for our Thanksgiving Dinner.  It was delicious.  It is dark, decadent and keeps calling you back for a second piece.

Chocolate Cream Pie Pin

I made this pie just as written in the recipe from the novel.  It was wonderful.  I look forward to trying the other recipes included in the back of this novel.

Heather of Based on a True Story, hosts a group called Foodies Read and decided to try a new theme for our group by making a Bingo board for us to fill out.  Regular readers of this blog are very familiar with Foodies Read as I link up to it several times a month. 

Foodies Read Bingo

I am having fun with this challenge. To date, I have shared the following recipes and reviews:

I also shared a recipe for Pork and Mandarin Tacos when I reviewed Little Red House for which I had no available category.  I am working on getting a coverall before this challenge is over.  I was able to mark off  "I made a recipe from this book".   I don't know if I will complete the coverall but I am going to give it a try.  

You should this pie a try....it is scrumptious!!!


Desserts, Pie, Pastry, Pudding, Meringue
Desserts
American
Yield: 8 servings
Author: Wendy Klik
Chocolate Cream Meringue Pie

Chocolate Cream Meringue Pie

Creamy deep dark chocolate pudding in a flaky crust topped with a fluffy meringue
Prep time: 30 MinCook time: 10 MinTotal time: 40 Min

Ingredients

  • 2 1/3 c. milk, divided
  • 1 c. + 6 T. sugar, divided
  • 4 T. flour
  • salt
  • 3 T. cocoa
  • 3 eggs, yolks and whites separated
  • 1 t. vanilla
  • 1 T. butter
  • 1 9" baked pie shell
  • 1/4 t. cream of tartar

Instructions

  1. Place 2 cups of the milk in a large saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer.
  2. Whisk together the remaining milk with 1 cup of the sugar, flour, a pinch of salt, cocoa, and egg yolks. Place the egg whites into a small container, cover and refrigerate.
  3. Add the chocolate mixture to the hot milk and cook, stirring constantly at a gentle boil until thickened. Stir in the butter and vanilla. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
  4. Pour into a baked 9" pie shell and let cool while you make the meringue.
  5. Beat the egg whites, a pinch of salt and the cream of tartar with electric mixer until stiff. Gradually beat in the sugar until dissolved and the mixture is fluffy.
  6. Spoon onto the chocolate cream, spreading to the edges and sealing to the crust.
  7. Place into a preheated 325* oven for about 7-10 minutes, until lightly golden brown.

Notes

Adapted from a recipe found in Christmas at Carnton by Tamera Alexander

Nutrition Facts

Calories

194.29

Fat (grams)

11.37 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

4.77 g

Carbs (grams)

33.68 g

Fiber (grams)

1.38 g

Net carbs

32.3 g

Sugar (grams)

3.58 g

Protein (grams)

5.52 g

Sodium (milligrams)

153.41 mg

Cholesterol (grams)

85.26 mg

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