Black-Bottom Pie

Ingredients

• 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 cups milk
• 4 slightly beaten egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 6-ounce package (1 cup) semisweet chocolate pieces
• Baked Pastry Shell (see recipe, page 293)
• 2 tablespoons rum or 1/2 teaspoon rum extract
• 4 egg whites

Instructions

1. Soften gelatin in 1/4 cup cold water; set aside. In a saucepan combine 1/2 cup of the sugar and cornstarch. Stir in milk and egg yolks. Cook and stir till bubbly. Cook and stir 2 minutes more. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Divide mixture in half. Add chocolate to one portion, stirring till melted. Pour into pastry shell. Chill.
2. Stir softened gelatin into remaining hot mixture till gelatin dissolves. Stir in rum. Chill to the consistency of corn syrup, stirring occasionally. Remove from refrigerator (gelatin mixture will continue to set). Immediately beat egg whites till soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining sugar, beating till stiff peaks form. When gelatin is partially set (consistency of unbeaten egg whites), fold in stiff-beaten whites. Chill till mixture mounds when spooned. Spoon into shell. Chill about 8 hours or till set.