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1
Preheat the oven to 500F.
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2
To prepare the pie filling, in a saucepan, combine the 1 cup of granulated sugar and 1 cup of the milk.
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3
Set aside.
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4
In a bowl, combine the remaining 1 cup of milk, the flour, and cocoa powder in a bowl and whisk thoroughly to combine.
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5
(Mama uses a shaker and shakes the mixture until it is well combined and frothy.)
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6
Set aside.
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7
Heat the saucepan with the milk-sugar mixture over medium-high heat until simmering.
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8
Slowly add the milk-flour mixture and stir to combine.
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9
Bring to a boil.
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10
Add the egg yolks, whisking constantly, until it returns to a boil.
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11
Once the mixture comes to a boil, immediately add the vanilla and remove it from the heat.
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12
Pour the mixture into the baked pie crust.
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13
Set aside.
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14
To make the meringue topping, place the egg whites in a nonreactive bowl with a pinch of salt.
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15
Add the cream of tartar and, using a hand-held mixer, whisk on high speed until foamy.
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16
Sift over the confectioners sugar a little at a time and whisk until the whites are glossy and hold stiff peaks when the whisk is lifted.
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17
To finish the pie, spoon the meringue over the pie, making sure it touches the edges of the pie crust.
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18
Bake until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes.
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19
Move to a rack to cool completely and set, then serve.
