Mercy Farm Black Bottom Pie

Custard:
Mix 1/2 cup sugar, the cornstarch and the salt together in a 1 or 2 quart pot. Add the milk and egg yolks and blend well with a wire whip. Cook over medium heat just till it comes to a boil (don’t overcook), stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

Chocolate layer:
Pour 1 cup of the hot custard into a separate bowl. Add the chocolates and the toasted almonds to that bowl. Mix well until chocolate is melted, and spread into the pre-baked pie crust with a spatula. Allow to cool.

Chiffon layer:
Add the gelatin to the cold water in a small bowl and allow to soften (takes a couple of minutes). I usually do this while the custard is cooking. Once the gelatin has bloomed, stir it into the remaining hot custard. Add the rum and the vanilla. Place in the refrigerator just until cool and slightly thickened. Stir occasionally. (Don’t let it set too long, it will get rubbery and be difficult to work with.) Once the custard has cooled, remove from refrigerator. Whip the egg whites and cream of tartar in a squeaky-clean bowl till soft peaks form. Slowly add the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, till egg whites hold a stiff peak but are not dry. Add the cooled custard to the egg whites and gently blend. Pour over the chocolate layer in the pie crust. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set/firm (at least 2-3 hours).

Garnish with sweetened whipped cream, toasted almonds and shaved chocolate.

Note: if you like dark chocolate, you may use a combination of semi-sweet and bittersweet chocolate in place of the milk chocolate.