In a large bowl cream together sugar, butter and vanilla then add egg and combine. (you can also make the dough in a food processor)
In a medium bowl whisk together flour, salt, baking powder and cocoa, add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture with a fork or pulse a few times until almost combined.
Move the dough to a lightly floured flat surface and knead gently until you have a soft dough (you may need to add a little more flour, but add a little at a time). Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for approximately 30 minutes.
Remove the dough from the fridge and roll to approximately 1/8 inch thickness place the dough in the prepared pie plate, trim the dough to fit the pan, flute the edges if desired, then prick the bottom a few times with a fork. Cover the pie with plastic wrap and refrigerate again for 30 minutes (this will solidify the fat, which helps prevent shrinkage).
Pre-heat oven to 350°. Grease and flour an 8 inch pie plate.
Remove the pie crust from the fridge, cover it with parchment paper (scrunch up the paper first then it is easier to spread on the dough), add the dried beans or pie weights on top, make sure they are spread around the pie evenly, bake for approximately 15-17 minutes. Remove the pie crust from the oven, carefully remove the paper and weights, continue to bake for approximately 10-15 minutes until baked. Let cool completely before adding the filling.
CHOCOLATE FILLING
While Crust is cooling make the filling. Heat the cream until hot but do not boil, add the chocolate and butter, whisk until smooth. (If chocolate does not completely melt, then pour mixture in a heat proof bowl and place over a small pot with water (make sure water does not touch the bottom of the dish), heat on low, stirring until mixture is melted and smooth. Let cool slightly. Pour mixture over cooled crust, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for approximately 6 hours, or even overnight. Enjoy!
Notes
This pie dough recipe makes enough for a 2 crust pie, you can make another of your favorite pies but with a chocolate base, you could also make some tasty cut out cookies or you can freeze it. Wrap well in plastic wrap, place in a freezer safe bag and freeze. It will last for up to 6 months in the freezer.If you prefer you can even use a Simple Pie Crust rather than a chocolate crust, use a store bought pie crust or make a chocolate cookie crumb or even a graham cracker crumb base, either your own or store bought.To store the pie, it shoudl be covered well in plastic and or an airtight bag or container. It will last 3-4 days in the fridge.To freeze the pie, wrap the completely cooled pie in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer safe bag, make sure to squeeze all the air out of the bag. Label it with the date and name of the pie. It will keep for up to 2-3 months. Thaw the wrapped and bagged pie overnight in the fridge.