Luscious chocolate pie, made from scratch, is a wonderful way to end any meal.

I don't know about you, but the recipe I grew up with was on the back of a pudding box.

This chocolate pudding pie real, made with pure chocolate, butter and vanilla.

Look below the recipe for more information and variations.

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
1 - 9" baked pie shell
2 1/2 cups milk
2 ounces chocolate
1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
3-4 beaten egg yolks
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

For the Meringue:
2 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
3 tablespoons sugar or 4 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
Scald the 2 1/2 cups of milk in a double boiler or over very low heat. Cut up the chocolate into small pieces and add it to the milk.

In a separate bowl, mix the flour and the 1/4 cup of milk until smooth. Add the salt, sugar and cinnamon. Add this to the mixture in the double boiler. Stir and cook, over, not in, hot water for 15 minutes. Spoon a very small quantity of the hot chocolate mixture over the egg yolks. Beat and add the yolks to the mixture in the double boiler. Stir and cook the pudding for 3 minutes. Add the butter and remove from the heat. Beat gently until it is very smooth. Add the vanilla and the nuts if you are using them (see the variation below).

Cool the mixture until it is lukewarm, then pour it into the baked pie shell.

Preheat the oven to 325ºF - 350°F.

Whip the egg whites until they are frothy. Add the cream of tartar and whip until it the egg whites are stiff, but not dry. Mix in the sugar, 1 teaspoon at a time. Do not over beat. Stir in the vanilla. Cover the pie filling with the meringue.

Bake for 10-15 minutes until the meringue is golden brown.

Makes one pie, 6 to 8 servings.

• Add 1/2 cup chopped nuts to the chocolate cream pie filling. Walnuts or toasted slivered almonds work really well.

• Instead of a meringue, you can top your luscious pie with freshly whipped cream, or of course whipped topping.

• For color and a nice presentation add a fresh strawberry to the top of each piece of this pie you serve. Slice it several times almost to the top, but not right through, then fan the strawberry out. Looks pretty and it's edible.

• You can also go the old fashioned way, as shown in the image above, and top the pie with a maraschino cherry.