Chocolate Pies

Ingredients

1 ½ cups sugar
5 tablespoons cornstarch
4 tablespoons cocoa powder 
Dash of salt
5 egg yolks
4 cups milk, divided
1 stick butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 baked pie shells

Preparation

In top portion of a double boiler, combine sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder and salt. Blend gently with a whisk until mixture is uniform. Set aside. In a separate bowl, beat egg yolks well. Beat in 1 cup milk. Stir into dry mixture and combine. Add remaining 3 cups milk and mix well. Add butter and cook over boiler until mixture is thick, whisking as it cooks to prevent lumps. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour into 2 baked pie shells. Meringue: Beat 5 egg whites together until stiff. Add ½ to ¾ cup sugar and mix until smooth. Top pies with meringue and bake at 350F for 15 minutes.