Preheat oven to 375F (190C). If using my homemade pie dough recipe, follow instructions through step 4.

Roll out chilled pie dough and place in a 9” pie plate. Flute the edges and then cover with a piece of parchment paper. Fill with an even layer of pie weights.

Transfer pie dough to oven and bake for 15 minutes. Once pie dough is finished baking, remove from the oven and carefully remove parchment and pie weights but do not turn off the oven.

Reduce oven temperature to 350F (175C).

While pie dough bakes you can begin preparing your filling. Combine butter and chopped chocolate in a medium-sized heatproof bowl and heat in the microwave in 25-second increments, stirring in between, until chocolate and butter are completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, combine heavy cream, eggs and egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla extract. Whisk vigorously for at least 15-30 seconds (this will help your chocolate chess pie develop that crackly top!).

Sift cocoa powder over the cream mixture and add salt. Whisk until combined.

Drizzle melted chocolate/butter mixture into the bowl with the egg mixture and use a spatula to gently stir ingredients until completely combined.

Pour chocolate mixture into pie crust (once it is finished baking). It is OK if the pie crust is still hot/warm, just be careful not to burn yourself!

Place in 350F (175C) oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. The center should be set and the top will have puffed and maybe even cracked and if you use an instant-read thermometer the temperature should register around 180F (82C).

Allow pie to cool for at least 4 hours before cutting in and enjoying (the top will likely deflate and crack, this is normal and expected!). If desired, serve topped with homemade whipped cream!