Chocolate-Pecan Mud Pie

Title:
Chocolate-Pecan Mud Pie

Yield:
8 Servings

Categories:
American,
Fall,
Pie,
Pudding




Ingredients:




-----------------------------------CRUST-----------------------------------


     6 oz Chocolate wafer cookies


 1 1/2 tb Granulated sugar


     3 tb Butter; melted, warm





-----------------------------------MOUSSE-----------------------------------


   1/2 lb Bittersweet or semisweet


          -chocolate


     2    Egg yolks


     3 tb Strong coffee


   1/4 c  Granulated sugar


   1/4 lb Butter; cut into pieces


     3    Egg whites


     2 ts Lukewarm water


     6 oz Pecans; shelled halves


     1 c  Light brown sugar


     1 pn Salt


   1/2 c  Butter


   1/4 c  (to 1/3) heavy cream


     2 tb Dark rum





 Preheat oven to 350?.


 


 CRUST: Insert metal blade in dry processor container. Process chocolate


 cookie wafers with sugar to fine crumb consistency. With machine running,


 drizzle melted butter through food chute, clean container side with a


 spatula and process 5 seconds more. Press crumb crust into an 11-inch


 fluted tart pan with removable bottom. Chill 5 minutes. Bake 5 minutes and


 set aside to cool.


 


 MOUSSE: Put half of the chocolate in dry processor container. With machine


 running, add remaining chunks through food chute and process until


 chocolate is ground to small bead consistency. Add egg yolks.


 


 Heat coffee, sugar and butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Stir


 until sugar dissolves. Heat to simmering. With machine running, pour hot


 butter mixture through food chute in a thin stream. Stop to clean container


 side with a spatula and process 5 seconds longer. Transfer to a mixing


 bowl.


 


 Wash and dry processor container and blade. Mix egg whites with water and


 process, drizzling whites through food chute. Process until whites are


 whipped to firm peaks, usually 1 1/2 minutes. Fold whites into chocolate


 mixture and refrigerate until partially set.


 


 Dry processor container and blade with paper toweling.


 


 CARAMEL MIXTURE: Very coarsely chop 4 ounces (about 1 cup) of pecans using


 one-second pulses; set aside and set remaining whole pecans aside.


 


 Heat sugar, salt and butter, stirring until dissolved. Add cream and rum.


 Heat to boiling and simmer until caramel thickens to a consistency that


 coats the back of a spoon. Transfer half of the caramel to a small


 saucepan; set aside. Add chopped pecans to caramel remaining in pan, stir


 and immediately pour onto bottom of crumb crust, carefully spreading into


 an even layer. Refrigerate until caramel sets.


 


 ASSEMBLY: Spoon chocolate mousse on caramel-nut layer. Spread top of mousse


 smooth. Refrigerate until firmly set.


 


 Reheat remaining caramel over low heat (add 2 tablespoons cream to mixture


 to thin, if necessary). Place pecan halves in a decorative design on top of


 mousse. When caramel has cooled slightly, pour evenly over top of tart and


 distribute evenly with a pastry brush. Refrigerate until caramel becomes


 firm, about 2 hours. Cut with a hot knife.


 


 NOTES : Chocolate mousse, caramel and pecans in an intense, incredibly rich


 chocolate experience This is the kind of dessert you serve to strangers,


 then they taste it, their eyes widen and they exclaim "You made this??!?"


 Posted to recipelu-digest Volume 01 Number 624 by "Valerie Whittle"


 
on Jan 28, 1998