Pumpkin pie with a chocolate twist

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What would Thanksgiving be without pumpkin pie? How about adding a delectable twist to the holiday classic? That’s what the Williams family did several years ago and it’s been a family favorite ever since.

“I got the recipe from Real Simple magazine probably five years or so ago and thought it looked delicious,” said Julie Williams of Mason. “So, I took a classic pumpkin pie and the chocolate version to our family’s next holiday get-together. There wasn’t a crumb left of either! Everyone wanted the chocolate recipe so now it’s as popular as the original (pumpkin pie). I use store-bought graham cracker crust if I’m pressed for time and it turns out just as good as the homemade crust version.”

CHOCOLATE PUMPKIN PIE

Ingredients for crust (or just use store bought graham cracker crust)

• 2 cups finely ground graham cracker crumbs (about 16 crackers)

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

• 2 tablespoons packed light-brown sugar

• ½ teaspoon coarse salt

• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

For filling:

• 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate (preferably 61 percent cacao), finely chopped

• 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (preferably 55 percent cacao), chopped

• 4 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

• 1 can (15 ounces) solid-packed pumpkin

• 1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk

• ¾ cup packed light-brown sugar

• 3 large eggs

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 ½ teaspoons coarse salt

• ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon

• ¾ teaspoon ground ginger

• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

• Pinch of ground cloves

• 1 ounce milk chocolate, melted

Directions

Step 1: Make the crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine graham cracker crumbs, butter, sugars, salt, and cinnamon in bowl. Firmly press mixture into bottom and up sides of a deep, 9 1/2-inch pie dish. Bake until firm, 8 to 10 minutes.

Step 2: Remove from oven, and sprinkle bittersweet chocolate over bottom of crust. Return to oven to melt chocolate - about 1 minute. Spread chocolate in a thin layer on bottom and up sides. Let cool on a wire rack. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.

Step 3: For filling: In a large heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, melt semisweet chocolate and butter, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat.

Next, mix pumpkin, milk, brown sugar, eggs, cornstarch, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and a pinch of cloves in a medium bowl. Whisk 1/3 pumpkin mixture into chocolate mixture. Whisk in remaining pumpkin mixture until completely incorporated.

Step 5: Transfer pie dish to a baking sheet, and pour pumpkin mixture into crust. Bake until center is set but still a bit wobbly, about 55 to 60 minutes. Let cool in pie dish on a wire rack. Refrigerate until well chilled, at least 8 hours (preferably overnight). Before serving, drizzle melted milk chocolate on top. Serve immediately.