Hot Fudge Pie

It seems like 100 years ago, but it was really only 35 or so. The quaint, small town of Oxford, Mississippi, was much quainter and much smaller when I was a young girl. Every Sunday after church, and at least once a week, my mom and I would head to the Holiday Inn's El Centro Restaurant, a popular spot for locals. Once there, we were warmly greeted by Mr. Hugh Parsley, who managed the restaurant. Mr. Hugh was a charming, flamboyant host, who wore white three-piece suits, shiny shoes, and gaudy ties. He always greeted his regular customers by name and stopped by each table to catch up on lives, families, jobs.

El Centro served the most wonderful Sunday lunches. The fried chicken was almost as good as my mom’s, and the dinner rolls were delectable, but the main attraction that kept folks coming back was the too-wonderful-for-words hot fudge pie al la mode. It was a chocolate marvel—soft and gooey on the inside—sugary-crusty on the outside—and when it was just right, the vanilla ice cream would melt, oh so gently.

By this time, you probably have your oven preheating. Go ahead. You know you want to.


Hot Fudge Pie
from the Holiday Inn's El Centro Restaurant
Oxford, Mississippi

1 stick unsalted butter
3 squares unsweetened baking chocolate
4 eggs
3 tablespoons white Karo syrup
1 ½ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Melt butter and unsweetened baking chocolate in a double boiler; let cool. Meanwhile, beat eggs with white Karo syrup, sugar, salt, and vanilla. Beat in chocolate, pour into pastry-lined pie plate, bake for 30 minutes or until top is crusty and filling is just set.

Note: I used a regular pie shell, and I had a little chocolate mixture left over. Deep dish may be preferred for this recipe.