Peppermint Brownie Pie

1/2 cup butter

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

Pastry for a Single-Crust Pie

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup mint-flavor semisweet chocolate pieces – OR – 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips and 1/2 tsp peppermint extract

Whipped cream, for serving

Crushed candy canes, for serving

1.  In a small saucepan, combine butter and chocolate.  Cook and stir over low heat until melted; cool slightly.

2.  Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350.  Prepare pastry for a single-crust pie in a 9-inch pie dish.

3.  For filling, in a large bowl, combine eggs, sugar, flour and vanilla.  Stir in melted chocolate and the chocolate pieces (and pepper mint extract if substituting.)  Pour filling into the pastry-lined pie plate.

4.  Bake in the preheated oven about 55 minutes or until filling isevenly puffed and edge of filling is slightly cracked.  Cool on a wire rack about 20 minutes or until slightly warm (center will sink slightly as pie cools.)  Top each serving with whipped cream and, if desired, garnish with a mini candy cane or crushed candy canes.  Makes 8 servings.