Double Chocolate Pudding Pie

This is my favorite chocolate pudding pie.  My kids love it and it is almost always the first pie to be gone.  My kids adore this pie too.  
I like that it is a little "lighter" than the average pudding pie, because it cuts the yolks out.   But word of caution:  Must have milk standing by.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE PUDDING PIE

 adapted from: foodnetwork.com


INGREDIENTS:

For Crust:

• 14 graham cracker squares (7 full sheets)
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon water

For Pie:

• 1 tablespoon (1 Packet) unflavored gelatin
• 1/3 cup boiling water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup cocoa
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups milk (I used skim)
• 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I used chips)
• 1 TBSP vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray.  In a food processor, process the graham crackers until finely ground. Measure 1 cup sugar and remove 1 TBSP and add that TBSP to the graham crackers.  Add butter and water and process until the crumbs clump together. Press the crumb mixture into bottom of pie plate and about 1-inch up the sides. Bake for 10 minutes, then let cool.

In the meantime, make the pudding. Put the gelatin in a small bowl, add the boiling water and stir until dissolved. Set aside.  In a saucepan, mix the remaining sugar (the 1 cup minus the TBSP), cocoa, cornstarch and salt. Gradually add half of the milk, whisking until smooth. Whisk in the rest of the milk. Turn the heat on to medium and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and comes to a boil, about 10 minutes.

Remove from the heat, add the chocolate and stir until melted, getting down into the corners of the pan. Stir in the vanilla and 1/2 of the reserved gelatin (I throw out the rest). Also, can add a TBSP of butter here for added richness; stir in until melted and incorporated. Pour the mixture into the pie crust and let set for 3 hours in the refrigerator.  Garnish with whipped cream.

Note:  Using all of the gelatin like the original recipe calls for gives it a more jello like consistency, verses pudding like.  It have been making this for several years and found that half the gelatin helps it set up, while keeping the texture more pudding like.