Katie's Chocolate Pie

This chocolate pie is TO DIE FOR! A great addition to your holidays or whenever, if you are a chocolate lover like I am!

Crust:
1 and 2/3 cups chocolate or Nilla wafer crumbs (about 30 wafers).
6 Tbsp butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar

Filling:
1/3 cup sugar
2 Tbsp plus 1 tsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
2 large egg yolks
2 cups whole milk
7 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped (I just use chocolate chips)
3 Tbsp cold butter
2 tsp vanilla extract

Topping & Garnish:
1 cup heavy cream
3 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Chocolate curls

Directions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 350.

2.  To make the crust: In a medium bowl, combine the cookie crumbs, melted butter, and sugar until they form an evenly moist, crumbly mixture. Press the mixture evenly onto the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake until the crust is fragrant and firm, 7 to 8 minutes. Set aside to cool.

3.  To make the filling: In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, cocoa, and salt. Whisk in the whole egg, egg yolks, and 1/2 cup of the milk until thoroughly combined.

4.  In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring the remaining 1 and 1/2 cups milk to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from the heat. Whisking constantly, very slowly pour the hot milk into the egg mixture. Keep whisking so that you don't scramble those eggs. Return the entire mixture to the pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the chocolate, and let sit for a minute. Add the butter and vanilla and whisk until the chocolate in completely melted and smooth.

5.  Pour the filling into the cooled piecrust and smooth the surface with a small spatula. Cover the surface entirely with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Make sure the plastic wrap is right up against the filling.

6.  Place the pie in the fridge until thoroughly cooled and set, about 2 hours.

7.   Just before serving, make the topping: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or using a handheld mixer, whip the cream, sugar, and vanilla at medium-high speed to form medium peaks. Spread the whipped cream over the pie. Sprinkle all over with chocolate curls and serve.