Black Bottom Pie
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 cups milk, scalded
¼ cup cold water
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
4 egg whites
1 9" baked pastry shell
1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
4 egg yolks, beaten
2-3 tablespoons rum
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate bits
1/2 cup sugar
Combine cornstarch & 1/2 c sugar. Slowly add milk to egg yolks, then stir into sugar & cornstarch mixture. Cook in double boiler, stirring constantly, until it coats spoon. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Remove one cup of this custard mixture and stir in chocolate bits until melted. Pour chocolate mixture into pastry shell and chill. Soften gelatin in water and add to remaining hot custard; stir until gelatin is dissolved. Add rum. Chill until slightly thickened. Beat eggs whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining sugar while beating, until stiff. Fold custard/gelatin into egg whites and pile over chocolate layer in pie shell. Chill until set and garnish with chopped walnuts.
Serves 8.
Can be made with prebaked boughten pie shell.