Chocolate Cream Pie

Jeremy likes having dessert after dinner (okay, so do I!), so I decided to make a pie.  As an added bonus, I got to break in my new stand mixer to make the whipped topping.   I took this recipe from James Beard's American Cookery.  It was just okay.  Something seemed off about the chocolate filling.  It wasn't my favorite pie, but we'll eat the leftovers without complaint.

Chocolate Cream Pie  (2013 Cookbook  Challenge)
from James Beard's American Cookery

Ingredients: 
3/4 cup sugar
7 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
3 cups whole milk, scalded (or 2 cups skim milk plus 1 cup cream)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 oz semisweet chocolate, shaved
9" pie crust, baked according to directions.
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1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
1 tablespoon water

Directions:
In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, flour, salt, and eggs. Slowly stir in the scalded milk (or use any milk and cream combination).  Cook mixture, whisking constantly, until it begins to boil.  Reduce heat to simmer and continue to cook a few more minutes until thickened.  Remove from the heat and add vanilla and shaved chocolate.  Stir until all the chocolate is melted and evenly mixed.  Cover with plastic wrap to avoid a film from forming and cool in fridge.  Once cool, spoon into baked and cooled pie crust.

To make gelatinized whipped cream topping, dissolve 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin in 1 tablespoon water and heat until thoroughly melted.  Blend with the cream and whip with sugar and vanilla using an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.  Spoon or pipe onto the chocolate pie and garnish with shaved chocolate if desired.