Checkerboard Strawberry Pie

Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 9 whole boards)
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
• 5 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 drops red food coloring
• 12 ounces frozen cool whip, thawed
• 2 cups chopped strawberries (from two 1-pint baskets)
• 6 strawberries
• 1 tablespoon strawberry jelly
• 6 chocolate hershey chocolate kisses, wrapping removed
• nonpareil decorative candies

Recipe

• 1 crust: mix crumbs, cocoa and sugar in medium-size bowl. stir in melted butter until well mixed. press mixture over bottom and up sides of 9-inch glass pie plate. place in freezer until ready to fill.
• 2 filling: mix sugar and cornstarch in medium-size saucepan. over medium heat, gradually stir in milk. cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and comes to a boil, about 5 minutes. remove from heat. stir in chocolate, vanilla and food coloring until mixture is smooth. transfer to large bowl; cover surface directly with plastic wrap. let cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.
• 3 when cool, whisk chocolate mixture until smooth. reserve 1 cup of the nondairy topping. fold the remaining nondiary topping into chocolate mixture.
• 4 spread half of chocolate filling over bottom of prepared crust. top with chopped strawberries. spread remaining chocolate filling over strawberries. refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
• 5 to decorate top of pie: spoon remaining nondairy topping into pastry bag fitted with #30 star tip. pipe border around edge of pie. pipe grid over top of pie. arrange whole strawberries in squares on top of pie. melt jelly in small microwave-safe bowl in microwave oven on high power, about 15 seconds. brush jelly over kisses. sprinkle kisses with nonpareils. arrange in squares. or use uncoated striped kisses.