I decided on a bit of nostalgia for our Thanksgiving dessert this year (don't worry, my BFF did the pumpkin pie). I suddenly had the hankering for an old family favorite--my grandma's chocolate chip pie. We had this at pretty much every holiday (along with about 6 other kinds of pie--she wanted to make sure everyone had their favorite), and it was always a kid favorite. It is easy to prep and totally delicious. I had my girls help me make the pies, and my 8-year-old was totally perplexed--"Mom. This should not be called chocolate chip pie. It has chocolate, marshmallows, and graham crackers in it. It is a S'MORES pie". Hard to argue with that. Hopefully, I just sold you on the pie. Love a good s'more? You'll adore this pie.

Chocolate Chip Pie

-from my Grammy

Crust (feel free to buy a graham cracker or even an Oreo crust--but try it first with the homemade graham cracker crust. It's deliciously crumbly and rustic)

10 graham crackers (full sheets)
4 T butter, melted

Crush your crackers (great job for kids--we use big Ziploc bags and rolling pins, but a food processor would be great for this if you don't have helpers), then stir in butter. Pat the crumb mixture into a pie plate. I decided to buy disposable pie tins for these, as all my pans are deep-dish or extra large, and this pie isn't extra large.

Filling:

30 marshmallows
1/2 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream, whipped (measure the cream before you whip it)
1/2 t. vanilla
2-4 oz grated semi-sweet chocolate (Now, I wanted more chocolate, so I used 4 oz, but the standard recipe is for 2, just so you know. And I upgraded the semi-sweet baking squares to semisweet Ghirardelli bars, because they are fabulous. Do NOT just chop the chocolate. You need to grate it. You want delicate little shavings of chocolate, not crunchy chunks. So, either roll up your sleeves and get out that box grater. Or, do what I did...get out the grating attachment for your food processor).

Heat the marshmallows and milk over low heat, stirring often until melted. Set aside to cool (tip--do this step BEFORE you make the crust and whip cream so it's cool by the time you are ready to proceed). Fold in vanilla, whipped cream, and chocolate. Pour into crust and chill well before serving. We have eaten this pie both chilled and frozen. Chilled it's kind of mousse-like (but more dense). I love it frozen. Either way, you can't lose.