During the year of the ‘Rona, Son A and I took a quick day trip to Tishomingo State Park in the northeastern corner of MS. We were experiencing an Indian Summer then, much like we are now some three years later. Son A read there was a Swinging Bridge near some neat rock outcroppings and thought we needed an outing. No problem. We loaded the dogs up, left Joe at home, and headed out.
Tishomingo State Park is about 45 miles north east of Tupelo along Natchez Trace Parkway. Named for Chickasaw Indian Chief Tishu Miku, the park sits in the ancestral home of Chickasaw tribe and Paleo Native Americans dating back to 7000 B.C. Today, one of the main attractions at Tishomingo SP, in addition to the hiking trails, rock climbing, Olympic sized swimming pool and camping, is the Swinging Bridge.
In response to the Great Depression in 1929, Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal program featured a work program for young, unmarried and unemployed men called the Civilian Conservation Corps. From 1933 to 1942, men ages 17 to 28 worked on projects like the creation of Tishomingo State Park. The park officially opened to the public in 1939, with the Swinging Bridge being its crown jewel. At 200 feet in length, the Swinging Bridge crosses Bear Creek.
Hikers, like Son A and I, began and ended the 2-mile long Outcropping Trail here. Fall is a fantastic time to enjoy the foliage, as well as a hike in lower humidity weather among natural spring waterfalls. Rock climbers flock to the sandstone and limestone outcroppings to test their climbing abilities.
Another location in the park is the Pioneer Cabin, at the start of the CCC Camp Trail. This cabin was built with pieces from local settler John Mauldin’s original cabin as a tribute to the local history. This trail meanders along the hills and outcroppings where the the CCC workers camp was located while the park was being built. Hikers can walk around the CCC Pond and cross over the rock overflow spillway.
On the way home from Tishomingo, Son A and I decided to take a quick detour to New Albany, MS. New Albany’s quaint downtown main street is curious to gawking tourists like ourselves. Locals park in the center of the street to run in and out of the local businesses. One of these businesses is Sugaree’s Bakery. Over the years, I’ve eaten my fair share of pie. Lemon, blueberry, coconut cream, key lime, pecan. I can go on, but oh my, my…Sugaree’s chocolate meringue pie! We brought home one of these famous 5-pound chocolate delights and munched on a slice of pecan pie road pie.
From our house to New Albany is about an hour’s drive. When the craving for Sugaree’s chocolate meringue pie hits, I don’t think I can wait that long…so I concocted my version of their famous recipe. It’s pretty close in flavor profiles, but their meringue is by far closer to heaven than mine. The pie filling is a classic cooked filling using two chocolates (cocoa powder and semi-sweet chocolate chips), egg yolks, evaporated and whole milk, butter, sugar and vanilla to achieve delicious decadence. Once cooked, the filling goes into a pre-baked pie crust. You can opt for store bought or homemade. To avoid a shrunken meringue on your pie, make sure to make the meringue first and spread it immediately over the hot pie filling. You’ll also want to make sure the meringue touches the pie crust’s edges to seal it completely.
PrintChocolate Meringue Pie
Flaky crust covered with a smooth rich chocolate filling and a fluffy meringue. What’s more pie-tastic than this?
- Yield: One 9 to 10-Inch Pie 1x
Ingredients
1 Pre-baked Single Pie Crust, store-bought or homemade*
For Meringue:
6 egg whites, at room temperature
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
For Chocolate Pie Filling:
1–1/2 cup granulated sugar
4–1/2 T. cocoa powder
4–1/2 T. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt (table, kosher or sea)
6 egg yolks, at room temperature
1–12 oz. can evaporated milk + 1–1/2 cup whole milk—enough to equal 3 cups total
6 T. unsalted butter (3/4 stick)
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1–1/2 tsp. vanilla
Instructions
Prebake a single pie crust according to recipe directions. Let cool.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Make meringue by beating egg whites with a hand-held beater or standing mixer until soft peaks form. Add cream of tarter, sugar and vanilla. Continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Set meringue aside.
To make pie filling, mix sugar, cocoa powder, flour and salt in a medium-sized sauce pan. In a separate bowl, whisk together egg yolks and milks. Stir into cocoa mixture and cook over medium heat until thick, about 5-7 minutes, whisking constantly. Stir in butter, chocolate chips and vanilla until smooth. Pour into prebaked pie crust. Top hot pie filling with meringue and spread to edges of pie crust to seal completely. If desired, smooth meringue into decorative wisps or waves. Bake the pie in preheated oven for 13-15 minutes. Meringue should be golden brown. Watch carefully to avoid burning and overcooking. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. To store, place a tent of aluminum foil over the pie and place in refrigerator for up to 4 days. Be sure pie is cooled completely before placing in the refrigerator to avoid condensation forming on the meringue.
Notes
*To blind bake a single piecrust, start with a frozen pie crust. Pie crust should be frozen for at least 30 minutes before baking. Line the frozen pie crust with heavy aluminum foil (preferably nonstick) and fill it completely with granulated sugar. Bake in a 350 degree F pre-heated oven for 45-50 minutes (for quiches or pies that will need additional baking) or 60-75 minutes (for pies not needing additional baking like a cream pie). Remove the sugar and foil. Allow pie crust and sugar to cool completely. Sugar can be reused in a future recipe.
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