Chocolate Swirled Pumpkin Pie

Ever since I can remember, my father and I have shared a love for brownies and pumpkin pie. He recently read the latest issue of Food and Wine magazine, and came across a recipe he found intriguing. In honor of his birthday, I made the chocolate swirled pumpkin pie, and it was truly a treat! Here's the recipe:

Pre-made Pie Crust
4 Eggs
3/4 cup Sugar
1 Tbsp Cornstarch
2 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Ground Cloves
Pinch of Salt
1 Can (15oz) Pumpkin Puree
1/2 cup Heavy Cream
3 oz. Bittersweet Chocolate, melted

Take the pre-made pie crust and spread it out in a 9" greased or floured pie pan. Pinch the edges for a more decorative look (I used a cookie cutter to cut "leaves" out of the second crust to decorate my edges). Poke holes with a fork around the crust, and bake it for 20 minutes at 350 degrees, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and poke any bubbles that may have formed in the crust.

While the crust is baking, combine eggs, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Whisk until smooth, add heavy cream and pumpkin puree, and whisk again until smooth. Take 1 cup of mixture and set aside in another bowl. After melting chocolate (you can microwave or melt over the stove - be sure not to burn it!), mix into the 1 cup pumpkin mixture and whisk.

Once the pie crust has baked, remove and let it completely cool. Once cool, pour in the plain pumpkin mixture to fill the pie pan evenly. Next, pour the chocolate pumpkin mixture into the center of the pie. Once all the mixture is in, taking a butter knife, swirl the chocolate into the pumpkin mixture. Once you get your desired marble look, cover the edges with foil, and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. With about 5 minutes to go, remove the foil so that the edges get a nice golden brown.

Serve warm or cold with a side of whipped cream or cool-whip. The chocolate adds decadence to the classic pumpkin pie, and I just may have found a new staple at Thanksgiving! Enjoy!