The Best Black Bottom Pie

By Melissa Townsend • Photography by Jay Adkins

Former Meridianite Maie Pope Bell still has the original tattered, old recipe Weidmann’s Restaurant used to hand out back in the ‘40s. With decades of experience, she has tweaked it over the years to absolute perfection. After years of hosting her bridge club in Leland, the “girls” are still requesting black bottom pie for dessert! “It’s just as easy to make two pies as one,” she notes. “And you have to have real gingersnaps.”

Crust:
16 Nabisco gingersnaps
3 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. With a rolling pin, crush gingersnaps until finely ground. Combine with melted butter and shape into a 9-inch glass pie plate. Bake for 10 minutes.

Chocolate custard:
2 cups whole milk, scalded
4 egg yolks, well beaten
1 /2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 squares unsweetened chocolate, cut into pieces
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Beat egg yolks with sugar and cornstarch. Add to scalded milk. Cook until it coats the back of the spoon. Remove from heat. Take out one cup out while still warm, reserving the leftover custard on the stove for the second mixture. Add chocolate pieces. Stir to melt and cool slightly. Add vanilla and stir. Pour into crust and spread evenly. Allow to cool completely.

Second mixture:
1 tablespoon gelatin
2 tablespooons cold water
4 egg whites
1/2 sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 tablespoons whiskey

Dissolve gelatin in water. Add to reserved custard. Beat egg whites with cream of tartar and slowly add sugar until peaks form. Fold into custard. Add whiskey. Pour into pie over chocolate custard. Chill until set, overnight.

Topping:
1/2 carton whipping cream
1 teaspoon sugar
Semi sweet chocolate, for grating

Before serving time, whip cream with sugar until stiff peaks form. Spread over chilled pie. Grate semi-sweet chocolate over whipped cream.