Chocolate Mousse Pie

Remember when I said that there were Seasons to Baking well, it's been winter then spring then winter again down here in Georgia which means I still have time to fill my tum with rich, decadent desserts that are full of indulgent chocolate!

This pie is best made with 2 pairs of hands in the kitchen, it takes a lot of bowls, a lot of whisks and spatulas, and a little patience - but it's the best there is.

To make the pie in the traditional way you'll need to have a 10" spring form pan and a few deep mixing bowls. This time though I made one heart shaped pie, since I was making it for my honey, and one small pie for my family. (The directions below are for the traditional 10", modify crust amounts for heart shaped and other shaped pans accordingly)

To make it extra special, cut a few canola leaves or waxy leaves from a bush outside - we'll use these to make chocolate leaves for a beautiful topping.

Because this pie does have a lot more steps than most, I decided to use as many step by step pictures as possible. If anything isn't clear don't hesitate to ask for clarification!

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE PIE

INGREDIENTS

Crust:

1 box Famous Chocolate Waffers (1 ½ boxes for a larger pie)

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted (add a tablespoon extra if needed)

Filling:

1 pound semisweet chocolate

2 eggs

4 egg yolks

2 cups whipping cream

6 Tablespoons powdered sugar

4 egg whites, room temperature

Chocolate Leaves:

8 ounces (about) semisweet chocolate

1 tablespoon (scant) vegetable shortening

Camellia or other waxy leaves

Whipped Topping:

2 cups whipping cream

Powdered Sugar

DIRECTIONS

For Crust:

Combine crumbs and butter in Cuisinart. Pour roughly half of the crumb mix into a 10-inch springform pan. Shape the sides, then pour the other half into the pan and shape the base of the crust. Refrigerate 30 minutes (or chill in freezer).

 

For Filing:

Soften chocolate in top of double boiler over simmering water. Let cool to lukewarm. Add whole eggs and mix well. Add yolks and mix until thoroughly blended. 

Whip cream with powdered sugar in a new bowl until soft peaks form. Beat egg whites in a separate bowl until stiff but not dry! 

Stir a little of the cream and whites into chocolate mixture to lighten. Fold in remaining cream and whites until completely incorporated. 

Turn into crust and chill at least six hours, or preferably, overnight.

--Do not proceed to next steps until at least 6 hours have expired ---

For leaves:

Melt chocolate and shortening in top of double boiler. Using spoon, generously coat underside of leaves. Chill or freeze until firm.

For Whipped Topping:

Whip remaining 2 cups cream with sugar to taste until quite stiff. 

**Baking Tip: Before whipping the whip cream I place the bowl and blade into the freezer. The whip cream always whips better that way.

Loosen crust on all sides using sharp knife; remove from springform. Spread whip cream over pie. Separate chocolate from leaves, starting at stem end of leaf. Arrange in overlapping pattern. Cut pie into wedge with thin sharp knife. Serve immediately or chill in refrigerator, can also freeze pie for up to 4 months. 

Last step, practice self-control. You may find that it disappears in the presence of this pie.