Maida Heatter's Book of Great Chocolate Desserts (46 page)

Refrigerate the filled shell for at least an hour or more until completely set.

TOPPING

Optional: ¾ teaspoon unflavored gelatin

Optional: 1½ tablespoons cold water

1½ cups heavy cream

⅓ cup strained or sifted confectioners sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Optional: 1 ounce or less semisweet chocolate

If the whipped cream topping stands for an hour or more it may separate slightly—the watery liquid will run out. To avoid that, add the gelatin. However, if you put the whipped cream on just before serving, the gelatin may be omitted.

Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water in a small heatproof cup. Let stand for 5 minutes. Then place the cup in shallow hot water over moderate heat until the gelatin is dissolved. Remove from the heat.

Place all but about 2 tablespoons of the cream in the chilled small bowl of the electric mixer. Add the sugar and vanilla. With chilled beaters whip the cream until it is slightly thickened.

Quickly stir the reserved 2 tablespoons of cream into the dissolved warm gelatin and, with the beater going, add the gelatin mixture all at once to the partially whipped cream. Continue to beat until the cream holds a shape. (Do not overbeat. Stiff whipped cream is buttery and not so attractive or delicious. But if it is to be used decoratively with a pastry bag and a star tube it should be stiff enough to hold the design.)

Now the cream may be spread evenly all over the pie, or it may be piped on with a pastry bag fitted with a large, star-shaped tube. (A suggestion; With the tube form eight large, high rosettes around the pie, about an inch from the edges. To form a rosette, move the pastry bag in a small spiral. Make the outside loop about 2 to 2½ inches in diameter. Keep spiraling toward the center and up until the rosette stands 1½ to 2 inches high.)

The optional chocolate is for decoration. It may be grated, or shaved with a vegetable peeler. Sprinkle it over the top of the pie or over the rosettes.

Refrigerate and serve very cold.

Chiffon and Velvet Pie

6 TO 8
P
ORTIONS

The “chiffon” is coffee sour-cream meringue, the “velvet” is smooth, dark chocolate filling, and there is a crunchy crumb crust. It is an elegant combination of textures and flavors.

The crust may be made way ahead of time (it has to be made somewhat ahead of time)—the filling and topping may be made early in the day for that night or the day before.

CRUST

1 cup graham-cracker crumbs

¼ cup granulated sugar

½ cup walnuts, finely chopped (not ground)

2 ounces (½ stick) butter, melted

Adjust rack to the center of the oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees. Stir the crumbs, sugar, and nuts in a mixing bowl. Add the melted butter and stir with a rubber spatula, pressing the mixture against the sides of the bowl until thoroughly mixed. The mixture will be crumbly but it will hold together when it is pressed into the pie plate.

Use a 9-inch ovenproof glass pie plate and follow the directions for crumb crust (see page 176).

FILLING

8 ounces semisweet chocolate

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 cup light cream

4 egg yolks (reserve the whites for the topping)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Break up the chocolate and place it in the top of a large double boiler. Add the sugar and cream. Place over hot water on moderate heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. If it does not get smooth, stir it briskly with a small wire whisk.

Stir the yolks slightly in a mixing bowl just to mix. Gradually add about half of the chocolate to the yolks, stirring constantly, and then add the yolks to the remaining chocolate. Add the vanilla and stir well.

Remove from the hot water and set aside for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Pour the filling (which may be warm) into the prepared crust. Cool to room temperature, then place in the refrigerator for about half an hour.

Meanwhile, prepare the top layer.

TOPPING

2 tablespoons dry instant coffee

¼ cup boiling water

1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin (this is ⅓ of an envelope)

4 egg whites

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup sour cream

In a small cup dissolve the dry instant coffee in the boiling water. Let stand until completely cool (refrigerate if necessary).

Sprinkle the gelatin over the cooled coffee. Let stand for about 5 minutes. Then place the cup in a small pan of shallow hot water over low heat until the gelatin is dissolved (stir with a metal teaspoon in order to see any undissolved crystals). Remove from the hot water and set aside to cool to room temperature.

In the small bowl of an electric mixer beat the egg whites until they hold a very soft shape. Reduce the speed to medium and gradually add the sugar. Then increase the speed to high and beat until the whites are really stiff and hold a firm shape.

On low speed, very gradually add the cooled coffee-gelatin mixture, scraping the bowl with a spatula and beating until smooth.

In a mixing bowl stir the sour cream with a rubber spatula until it is smooth and soft. Fold about 1 cup of the whites into the cream and then fold the cream into the remaining whites.

Spread the topping over the pie, mounding it high in the middle and thinner on the edges (the edges should not be heavy or they might run over the crust).

Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Gulf Coast Chocolate Pie

6 TO 8
P
ORTIONS

This was served to us (after bowls of steamed shrimp) overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. Our hostess, originally from Alabama, said that it was a family recipe she had used for many, many years.

The filling is like a bavarian made without whipped cream. It is smooth, light, velvety, and delicious. It should be served the day it is made.

PIE CRUST

Prepare a baked pie shell in a 10-inch pie plate (see page 176); cool completely.

CHOCOLATE FILLING

6 ounces semisweet chocolate

1 tablespoon (1 envelope) unflavored gelatin

¼ cup cold water

3 eggs (graded large or extra-large), separated

¾ cup granulated sugar

1½ cups milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

⅛ teaspoon salt

If you use bars or squares of chocolate, chop them rather small; if you use morsels, leave them as they are. Set aside.

In a small cup sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water and let stand.

Place the egg yolks in the top of a large double boiler off the heat. Stir them lightly with a wire whisk. Stir in ¼ cup (reserve remaining ½ cup) of the sugar. Gradually stir in the milk, quite slowly at first.

Place over hot water in the bottom of the double boiler and cook on moderate heat, stirring frequently, with a rubber spatula, until the mixture thickens enough to coat a metal spoon lightly (that will be 180 degrees on a candy thermometer).

Add the softened gelatin and stir to dissolve. Then add the chocolate and stir to melt. Remove from the hot water.

Beat the mixture briskly with a wire whisk or a beater only until it is smooth. Stir in the vanilla.

Partially fill a large bowl with ice and water. Place the top of the double boiler in the ice water and stir frequently until the mixture is cold (test it by dropping a bit on the inside of your wrist).

Temporarily remove it from the ice water and set aside.

In the small bowl of an electric mixer add the salt to the egg whites and beat until they barely hold a soft shape. Reduce the speed to moderate and gradually add the reserved ½ cup of sugar. Increase the speed to high again and continue to beat only until the whites hold a soft shape; they must not be stiff or dry, they should resemble marshmallow whip. Remove the whites from the mixer and set aside.

Now return the top of the double boiler to the ice water and stir constantly until the chocolate mixture begins to thicken.

Fold about one-third of the chocolate mixture into the whites, and then fold the whites into the remaining chocolate mixture, folding only until incorporated.

Turn the mixture into the baked pie shell. Refrigerate for a few hours; 2½ or 3 hours is enough, but it can be longer if you wish.

WHIPPED CREAM TOPPING

2 cups heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ cup confectioners or granulated sugar

In a chilled bowl with chilled beaters, whip all of the above ingredients until the cream is just firm enough to hold its shape but not until it is really stiff.

Whipped cream separates as it stands. If you put it on the pie more than an hour or so before serving, a bit of thin, watery cream will run out toward the edges so do try to put the cream on soon before serving time. However, you can whip it ahead of time, refrigerate, and then stir briefly with a wire whisk just before using.

Place the whipped cream by large spoonfuls all over the top of the filling, spread it to cover, and then, with a rubber spatula, form large swirls in a daisy or sunburst pattern.

I leave it alone—no further decoration. But of course you can top it with Grated Chocolate or Chocolate Shavings (see page 263), or whatever. Our hostess, who gave me this recipe, was most apologetic about not having large pecan halves to trim the top.

COLD AND HOT DESSERTS

Refrigerator Desserts

Gelatin Desserts

Freezer Desserts

Hot Soufflés

Refrigerator Desserts

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE HEATTER

MINT CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

ANOTHER CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

POTS DE CHOCOLAT (mousse)

BAKED CHOCOLATE CUSTARD

CHOCOLATE POTS DE CRÈME

ABBY MANDEL’S BOULE DE NEIGE (snowball)

PAVÉ AU CHOCOLAT

CHOCOLATE REGAL

Chocolate Mousse Heatter

6 P
ORTIONS

The following recipe is reprinted here from my dessert book.

This is one of the desserts I made daily for my husband’s restaurants and I always made it with Tobler Tradition or Lindt Excellence chocolate (available from Paprikas Weiss, see page 11). Either one is great for this mousse. However, since they are not generally available all over the country many people have told me about excellent results with a variety of other chocolates.

Our friends generally make this when they invite us to dinner (they know I love it).

It has been said that chocolate is the sexiest of all flavors. If so, this is the sexiest of all desserts.

8 ounces semisweet, bittersweet, or extra-bittersweet chocolate

1 tablespoon dry instant coffee

⅓ cup boiling water

5 eggs (graded large or extra-large), separated

Pinch of salt

Coarsely chop or break up the chocolate and place it in a small, heavy saucepan. Dissolve the coffee in the boiling water and pour it over the chocolate. Place over low heat and stir occasionally with a small wire whisk until smooth. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool for about 5 minutes.