Chocolate-pecan mud pie

8 Servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
6 ounces Chocolate wafer cookies
1½ tablespoon Granulated sugar
3 tablespoons Butter; melted, warm
½ pounds Bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
2 Egg yolks
3 tablespoons Strong coffee
¼ cup Granulated sugar
¼ pounds Butter; cut into pieces
3 Egg whites
2 teaspoons Lukewarm water
6 ounces Pecans; shelled halves
1 cup Light brown sugar
1 pinch Salt
½ cup Butter
¼ cup (to 1/3) heavy cream
2 tablespoons Dark rum

Directions

CRUST

MOUSSE

Preheat oven to 350ø.

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 1½ 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" <catspaw@...> on Jan 28, 1998

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