For Fear of Chocolate Pie

Recently, I've been thinking about fear and why I am intimidated by the most ridiculous things. Do I fear failure? Am I intimidated because I don't think I will measure up?

Readers often admit that they are scared to attempt to bake bread. I've baked bread since I was ten years old and have made every kind of blooper in the book. Yeast holds no power of intimidation over me.

But apparently, I have a fear of chocolate pie.

My husband loves chocolate pie. Most Christmas meals are not complete without a piece of his mother's chocolate pie. When we married, it was one recipe that he wanted me to get from his mother.

I planned to learn to make chocolate pie. I love cooking to please my husband. Besides, I loved chocolate pie as much as Ed did. But something held me back.

Was it fear of failure? Was it intimidation of his mother's wonderful flaky pie crust? Regardless of the cause, the result was that I never made chocolate pie.

Last year, I told Ed I'd try to make him a chocolate pie for his birthday, but I broke my word and made cheesecake instead. Surely after almost ten years of marriage, I could have mustered up enough courage to tackle my husband's favorite recipe!

But birthdays have a way of coming around again and this month, I finally did it. I actually made a chocolate pie. The result - a pie every bit as good as Ed's mothers (well, maybe the crust wasn't quite as good, but Ed didn't complain.)

The worse (or best) part - it was easy! I have no idea why I waited so long to make chocolate pie. It was almost embarrassingly easy.

I wonder how many of my other fears would be so easily conquered if I only made the first attempt?

Now I'll share the recipe with you, so you too can enjoy an easy chocolate pie! But I should note that this recipe could strike fear for another reason, it contains raw eggs. I don't have a problem with eating homegrown raw eggs, but if you do, you just missed the opportunity to eat a wonderful chocolate pie.

Chocolate Pie


1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 T milk
2 T sugar
4 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla
4 egg whites
baked pie crust

Melt chocolate, milk, and sugar at low heat or on double boiler. Cool slightly. Beat egg yolks into chocolate one at a time. Stir in vanilla. Beat egg whites until stiff. Fold chocolate and egg whites together. Pour into pre-baked pie crust and chill. Serve with whipped cream.