Sometimes I try a new recipe, and it works right out of the gate. But that’s not always the case.

I made a red velvet cake recently. It was moist and delicious and came right out of the pans… in three to four pieces each.

I topped it with an ermine frosting, which I’ve made several times using two different recipes. The first version was too thick, like a sweet ball of playdough. I tossed it out; it wouldn’t spread anyway.

The second was so loose that I ended up pouring it over the pieces of cake. It was tasty but so ugly I could scarcely call it a cake. This pie was much the same way for me.

The first time I made it, I missed most of the directions entirely. I melted the chocolate and marshmallows together in a saucepan over direct heat, missing the double boiler instructions entirely.

More problematic, though, is the fact that I completely ignored the instructions to add whipped cream. Instead, I added whipping cream. Same ingredient. Wrong process.

The result, as you might imagine, was basically a liquid pudding that tasted like a chocolate bar. It was delicious, but not very pie-like. But I was undaunted. This was chocolate, after all, and my mama didn’t raise no quitter.

I bought another six-pack of Hershey’s bars to try the pie again.

And then I made the mistake of not immediately hiding the pack deep in my pantry.

Before I even had dinner made that night, Pfeiffer had requested a bar, reminding me I’d promised her one “later” when she was helping me with the first pie. Upon discovering that I was already a bar short of the recipe requirements anyway, Zack promptly claimed a bar for himself and stashed it in the fridge.

(He likes his chocolate cold. Can you even imagine?)

And, you ask, what happened to the remaining four bars of chocolate? Your guess is as good as mine. What I do know is that I haven’t seen any of them since the day I bought them.

Luckily, the grocery stores just keep on selling chocolate bars, and I just keep on buying them.

Apparently, the third time was the charm. This time, I managed to hang on to all six bars, to actually whip my heavy cream, and to almost allow the finished pie enough time to firm up before cutting into it.

Oh, well. Maybe the fourth time’s the charm.

HERSHEY’S BAR PIE

Ingredients
1 graham cracker pie crust (I used a store-bought chocolate pie crust. It tasted good but was too small to hold all the filling.)
1/2 cup milk
18 large marshmallows (not mini or jumbo sized; I used Jet Puffed brand)
6 Hershey’s milk chocolate bars (1.55 oz. per bar; about 9 oz. of chocolate total), broken into scored rectangles
1 cup whipping cream

Directions
■ Place milk and marshmallows in microwave-safe mixing bowl. Microwave the mixture at 50% power for 30 to 60 seconds at a time, stirring well between each heat cycle. When marshmallows are almost completely melted, add all chocolate squares. Stir well. Continue to heat mixture at 50% power for 30 seconds at a time, stirring well between each heating period. Stop heating when chocolate and marshmallows are completely melted. (This took me about two heating cycles.) Stir well to incorporate. Allow to cool completely on the counter (or in refrigerator).
■ When chocolate mixture is no warmer than room temperature, prepare the whipping cream. Place it in a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until medium peaks form. (Stiff peaks stand at attention; soft peaks droop right over as soon as the beaters are lifted. Medium peaks curl at the top when the beaters are removed.) If you have a stand mixer, do not leave the kitchen while your stand mixer does this work. The line between whipped cream and butter is shockingly thin when you’re using an electric mixer, and you don’t want to cross it. Add whipped cream to the chocolate bowl and fold in gently until no white streaks remain. Pour chocolate mixture into pie shell. Be careful not to overfill the shell. (If you reach the top of your pie shell and still have chocolate mixture left, pour it into small bowls or ramekins and refrigerate those for use as individual desserts.)
■ Cover pie and refrigerate at least 4 hours to firm up. For a nice presentation, top with more whipped cream, Cool Whip, or chocolate shavings.

Amelia Plair is a mom and high school teacher in Starkville. Email reaches her at [email protected].

Amelia Plair is a Starkville resident who writes occasional food columns.