Chocolate Peppermint Cream Pie

So, this recipe is similar to one I blogged a couple of years ago, but this was a fun addition. If you wanted pink cream, you know, to be all peppermint-ey, add red food coloring. Anyway, this is excellent. It gets a 9.5.
Chocolate Cream Pie Filling (I got this recipe from my Dad originally)
You need 1 saucepan and 2 bowls
In first bowl, 2 large eggs, 1/4 cup unsweetened dutch processed cocoa, 3 Tbs. cornstarch, 1/4 cup milk. Whip until smooth, it will smooth out even if looks bumpy
In saucepan, take 2 3/4 cups milk, 2/3 cup sugar (I have used a generous 1/4 and can’t tell the difference, just FYI), pinch salt.
In 3rd bowl, put in 6 oz. bittersweet chocolate (I use Callebaut intense bitter-sweet callets from Orson Gygi, and I often do 75% bittersweet 25% milk chocolate). 2 Tbs. unsalted butter. On the side, have 1 tsp. vanilla.
Over medium heat, bring mixture to a full boil. With a whisk, whisk 1/4 cup of hot mixture into egg/cocoa bowl mixture, and whisk that back into the milk mixture. Cook continuing to whisk rapidly until mixture thickens. Turn the heat off completely, put in the butter and the chocolate. From here, add 1/2-1 tsp. pure peppermint extract. This is to taste, so I would start with 1/4 tsp. and gradually increase it by 1/4 tsp. increments until it’s where you want it. We used about 1 tsp. per pie. Once it's melted, add vanilla. Put it through a strainer and don't push it through the strainer. The only filling worth keeping is the filling that goes through by itself, which is about 99%. Cover and cool.
Put the chilled filling in baked crust, top with cream (1 1/2-2 cups whipped, lightly sweetened, and vanilla-ed. Yes, it’s a word), and garnish with peppermint bark (or candy canes).