Pie Recipe #44 - Michael Symon's Chocolate Pumpkin Pie

The next month's worth of recipes will be variations of pumpkin pie because I found so many variations I thought needed trying (and tasting). I had my doubts about mixing chocolate with pumpkin but I should have known that chocolate mixed with ANYTHING is never a failure. This is a basic pumpkin pie with some luscious melted chocolate stirred in. A definite winner! Ingredients: Crust: 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, 1/2 cup unsalted butter (very cold and cut into small pieces), 2-3 tablespoons ice cold water. Filling: 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped very fine, 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (I used chocolate chips), 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (cut into small pieces), 1 14-ounce canned pumpkin, 1 12-ounce can evaporated milk, 3/4 cup packed brown sugar, 3 large eggs, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, pinch of ground cloves. Instructions: Crust: Combine the flour, salt, sugar and butter in a food processor and pulse until coarse, with small marbles of butter remaining. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the ice water and pulse until crumbly, and dough holds when squeezed together. Add another sprinkle of water if too dry, but do not overmix. Transfer dough to a plastic bag, press into a disk, and refrigerate for one hour. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Roll out dough on floured surface. Press into pie plate, trim to leave 1-inch excess around edges, fold under and flute edges. Poke holes in bottom and sides with the tines of a fork. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Filling: In a double boiler, melt chocolate and butter, stirring frequently until smooth, and remove from heat. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together the pumpkin, evaporated milk, brown sugar, eggs, cornstarch, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Fold in the chocolate mixture, and pour into pie crust. Place pie pan on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated 325 degree oven until center of pie has set, about an hour. Refrigerate until cooled completely to serve. Top with whipped topping and a sprinkling of cinnamon, if desired. This recipe is from the ABC TV show, "The Chew". "As easy as pie!"