Ingredients

• 1  recipe Baked Pastry Shell (recipe below)
• 3/4  cup butter
• 3/4  cup sugar
• 1  cup semisweet chocolate pieces, melted and cooled
• 1  teaspoon vanilla
• 3/4  cup refrigerated or frozen egg product, thawed
•   Whipped cream (optional)
•   Chocolate curls (optional)

Directions

1. Prepare Baked Pastry Shell; set shell aside.

2. For filling, in a large bowl beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed about 4 minutes or until fluffy. Stir in melted and cooled chocolate and vanilla. Gradually add egg product, beating on high speed and scraping side of bowl constantly until light and fluffy.

3. Transfer filling to pastry shell. Cover and chill in refrigerator for 5 hours. If desired, garnish with whipped cream and chocolate curls. Makes 10 servings.

Baked Pastry Shell: Stir together 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in 1/3 cup shortening until pieces are pea-size. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon cold water over part of the mixture; gently toss with a fork. Push moistened dough to the side of the bowl. Repeat moistening dough, using 1 tablespoon cold water at a time, until all the dough is moistened (4 to 5 tablespoons cold water total). Form dough into a ball. On a lightly floured surface, use your hands to slightly flatten dough. Roll dough from center to edge into a circle about 12 inches in diameter. To transfer pastry, wrap it around the rolling pin. Unroll pastry into a 9-inch pie plate. Ease pastry into pie plate, being careful not to stretch pastry. Trim pastry to 1/2 inch beyond edge of pie plate. Fold under extra pastry. Crimp edge as desired. Generously prick bottom and side of pastry in pie plate with a fork. Prick all around where bottom and side meet. Line pastry with a double thickness of foil. Bake in a 450 degree F oven for 8 minutes. Remove foil. Bake 5 to 6 minutes more or until golden. Cool on a wire rack. Makes 10 servings.

Make-Ahead Tip: Prepare as above. Cover and chill in refrigerator for up to 24 hours.