Chocolate Mousse Pie
Every Thanksgiving in NYC Brenda would make this pie. You felt lucky if you were able to snag a sliver before it was fully consumed. Sometimes the pie pan would be licked clean (shhhhh, don’t tell Brenda).
Origin: Brenda developed this pie during her high school years. It even won a local pie contest. Keep in mind she grew up in Vale, OR; a very small farm town without a traffic light. This means there was some fierce competition by stay-at-home-mamas, and teenagers who were trying to get out of farm chores.
The only variation to this recipe has been the pie crust. Initially, she used a chocolate graham cracker crust, until succeeding in developing a baked chocolate crust with all the layers of tender flakiness you dream about.
Brenda’s dabbled in making tiny variations to the filling, but the original creation was so good she decided no improvement is needed.
Any chocolate fan* agrees this is the best chocolate mousse pie you’ll ever consume.
*This recipe makes one 9" pie. You might want to go ahead and double it before you even start. One for you and one to share.
Chocolate Mousse Pie
Step 1: Fudge sauce
In a two quart saucepan, combine:
3 Tbsp cocoa
1 tsp shortening
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp corn syrup
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 cup milk
Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture reaches a mild rolling boil. Reduce heat to low, simmer, without stirring, to soft ball stage (235F)*. Remove from heat.
Drop on top but don't mix yet:
1/4 cup cold butter
Cool to lukewarm (maximum temp 110F)**, then blend at medium speed with an electric mixer until sauce is creamy. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
Step 2: Chocolate pie crust
In a medium mixing bowl, sift together:
1 cup flour
2 tsp cocoa
2 Tbsp powdered sugar
1/4 tsp salt
Cut in each individually:
1/4 cup oil
2 Tbsp cold butter, sliced thin
Make a well, add:
1 tsp increments cold water, up to 3 tsp
Fold the water in, mixing as little as possible, until a shaggy dough forms. Lightly press into a ball. Place between two sheets of plastic wrap and roll into a circle to fit a 9" pie plate. Bake at 350F for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Step 3: Whipped cream
In a medium mixing bowl, combine:
1 1/4 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp sugar
Whip until stiff. Set aside.
Step 4: Assemble filling
In a separate medium mixing bowl, combine:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
3/8 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
Using an electric mixer, beat until smooth. Whip the fudge sauce (Step 1) into the cream cheese, mixing until well blended. Fold in the prepared whipped cream (Step 3).
Step 5: Finalize
Spoon filling (Step 4) into cooled chocolate pie shell (Step 2).
Top with:
1 oz chocolate shavings
Chill. Serve.
Brenda tips:
Serving Size: one 9 inch pie
Brenda recommends storing in the refrigerator. This pie will keep for days and days, and the crust never becomes soggy.
12 oz Frozen Whipped Topping (thawed) can be substituted in place of making whipped cream (Step 3).
No thermometer?
*Soft ball test: grab a small bowl and add about 1/2 cup cold water. After the sauce has cooked at a rolling boil for a few minutes and appears to have thickened somewhat, drop a spoonful into the cold water. If you can push it into a ball, the sauce has reached soft ball stage. If it dissolves, the sauce needs to cook longer. Test again after a few more minutes of boiling. The sauce reaching this stage is dependent on variables such as the humidity in your kitchen. Sometimes it can be reached in 5 minutes and at other times it takes nearly 20.
**Lukewarm: this is less critical but can be determined by carefully feeling the outside of the pot of fudge sauce. If it is cool enough to touch without pulling away, the sauce should be cool enough to blend.
This is a super secret recipe, that’s why you just found it on the internet.
Window to B’s kitchen…
Step 1: Whipping the fudge sauce
Step 4: Making the cream cheese mixture
Step 4: Mixing the cream cheese mixture and the fudge sauce
Step 4: Folding the whipped cream into the cream cheese and fudge sauce mixture
Step 5: Creating the chocolate shavings to top the pie with
The final product . . . yum!
