How to make the best whipped cream ever, plus a recipe for black bottom pie

Graham cracker crust topped with a rich chocolate custard filling. For those of us who are chocolate fans, that might be enough for dessert. But why not gild the lily? Top the custard with silky whipped cream and more chocolate shavings. Just because.

You may not see black bottom pie on many menus anymore, and that’s a shame. For this recipe, we dug back into the Times archives all the way to Nov. 14, 1932.

KITCHEN PRO TIP: It’s not that hard to make whipped cream — place heavy cream in a bowl with a little sugar and flavoring, and exercise your arm with a whisk — but you can take your whipped cream to the next level with these video tips. Hint: It involves a food processor (no whisk needed). Give this whipped cream a try and you might never buy pre-made whipped cream again.

BLACK BOTTOM PIE

Total time: 50 minutes plus chilling | Serves 10

Note: Adapted from a recipe that ran in The Times on Nov. 14, 1932.

1 3/4 cups milk

3/4 cup sugar

3 egg yolks

3/4 cup Ghirardelli unsweetened cocoa

1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin soaked in 1/4 cup milk

2 cups heavy cream, divided

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

1 (9-inch) graham cracker pie crust

2 tablespoons grated

chocolate for garnish

1. Scald the milk in a saucepan.

2. Stir together the sugar and egg yolks in a bowl until smooth. Mix a little of the hot milk with the eggs, then stir the mixture into the milk.

3. Sift the cocoa into a bowl. Add a little of the hot milk mixture and stir, then add the cocoa mixture to the milk mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the liquid coats the back of a wooden spoon, about 2 to 3 minutes.

4. Remove from heat. Stir the gelatin into the hot custard. Place the pan over a bowl of ice. Chill, stirring occasionally, until the custard forms a mound when dropped from a spoon.

5. Whip 1 cup cream until it forms stiff peaks. Fold into the custard.

6. Fill the pie crust with the custard mixture and refrigerate until set, several hours or overnight.

7. In a small bowl, whip the remaining 1 cup cream. Stir in the powdered sugar. Spread evenly over the filling and sprinkle with grated chocolate.

Each serving: 417 calories; 6 grams protein; 37 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams fiber; 30 grams fat; 17 grams saturated fat; 147 mg. cholesterol; 120 mg. sodium.

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