This recipe was shared with us by John Simpson, who is with World Link and a proud Houston City Beat Community Connector. John brings us Sam Coates’ Black-Bottom Pie—a dessert with deep family roots. Sam was John’s grandmother’s brother and ran a popular restaurant in Waco during the 1950s and 60s. This pie was a star on the menu back then, and for good reason. John says, ‘It’s very good. Personally, I suggest cutting the quantity of rum extract in half. If you try it, you’ll know why it was so popular then.’ This recipe is more than a dessert—it’s a piece of culinary history and a family tradition worth sharing.
Please note: These recipes are submitted by our community members and shared exactly as received. We do not provide nutritional information, and any dietary adjustments should be made at your discretion.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/2 cups milk
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter or margarine
- 1 tablespoon rum extract
- 1.5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted (or about 1/4 cup chocolate chips)
- 1 baked 9-inch pie shell
Topping
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons rum extract
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, combine flour, sugar, salt, and milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened.
- Beat egg yolks in a small bowl. Gradually stir a few spoonfuls of the hot mixture into the yolks to temper them, then return yolks to the saucepan.
- Continue cooking until very thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in butter and rum extract.
- Divide custard in half. To one half, add melted chocolate and mix well.
- Pour chocolate custard into the baked pie shell. Top with the plain custard as the second layer.
- Spread whipped cream topping over the pie and decorate with chocolate shavings if desired.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Yield: 8 servings
