Chocolate Mousse Pie

This is a perfect dessert for a crowd: creamy, chocolatey, incredibly rich, AND simple to make (really!). I found the recipe on epicurious.com (originally from Bon Appetit, Nov '92) several years ago. I've made it many times, and in the process have tweaked and tweaked, based on epicurious commenters' and my own experiences. The recipe below is my current version.

Chocolate Mousse Pie
28 Oreo cookies
1/3 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
pinch of salt
1 quart heavy whipping cream, divided
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
additional sugar and vanilla, to taste
chocolate shavings, optional

1. Finely grind cookies in processor. Add butter and process until mixture is evenly moistened. Press crumb mixture onto bottom of a 10" springform pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 8 minutes. Transfer to a rack and cool completely.
2. Put chocolate and salt in a food processor. Bring 1 cup cream to a boil in the microwave. With the processor running, gradually pour hot cream through feed tube and process until chocolate is melted and smooth. Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Cool to room temperature, stirring occassionally.
3. Beat 2 cups cream with sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Fold into chocolate mixture. Spread over the prepared crust and chill until set, about 6 hours. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead.)
4. Beat remaining cream (with a splash of vanilla and about 2 Tbsp sugar) to stiff peaks. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a star tip. Garnish top of cake with chocolate shavings, if desired, then pipe cream rosettes around the edge.

Serves 16+

It may look like a disappointingly small piece, but because it is so rich, you'll be surprisingly satisfied.

Yesterday I successfully experimented with preparing individual servings for a party. For the "crust" I put Oreos in the bottom of foil muffin papers, then topped them with the filling (yield=28 each). They were set in less than six hours, but are easier to eat today because the cookies have softened enough to be eaten with a spoon.

Storage and transportation in the muffin pan is a handy option:I topped the mini-mousses with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cocoa powder. Since I used a store bought "shaker top" instead of whipping my own cream, the rosettes deflated in mere minutes, much to my distress. Next time that's one shortcut I won't take!
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NOVEMBER 2009 UPDATE:

I wanted to take this to a party with a substantial dessert spread and felt I needed even smaller servings than the muffin cups above. At a dessert buffet, noone wants to commit to a giant portion when there are so many treats to try.

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Remembering a comment from the original online version, I baked the crust in a rectangular pan (about 10" x 15", the Pyrex that's bigger than a 9" x 13"). The crust and mousse were spread thin, but I think it was perfect. I was able to cut 48 pieces.

A squeeze of whipped cream and a sprinkling of cocoa, and the pan was ready to go.If thoroughly chilled (it's best made a day in advance but garnished just before departure), the portions are easy to serve, keeping their shape well. The low profile also meant that I could cover the pan with plastic wrap without disturbing the whipped cream. I used the real deal this time, and the rosettes looked fine even the next day.

Moosewood Fudge Brownies

These are currently my favorite brownies. They are fudgy rather than cakey, and are still moist the next day (if any are left). They are intensely chocolate compared to the ones I used to make with cocoa or any made with a mix. Two other pluses: QUICK and EASY.

The recipe was first published in Mollie Katzen's Moosewood Cookbook (1977). I'm using the version from Moosewood Restaurant Book of Desserts (by the Moosewood Collective, 1997).

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
3 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour

• Melt butter and chocolate in the microwave on 50% power, stirring every 30 seconds or so.
• Stir in the brown sugar and vanilla.
• Stir in the eggs until the mixture is smooth and glossy.
• Add flour. Stir or fold in with spatula just until combined.
• Spread in greased 8" x 8" pan and bake at 350* for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted halfway towards the center no longer comes out gooey. It may have moist crumbs attached. DO NOT OVERBAKE.

Notes:

• I use regular (not unsalted) butter because there is no salt in the recipe.
• This is of course easy to double. Spread into a 9" x 13" pan.
• Don't use a 9" square pan; an 8" square is much closer to half a 9" x 13".
• It's no mistake--there is no leavening (baking powder). That's one reason they're not cakey.
• These are yummy as is, but my children prefer them sprinkled with SEMISWEET mini m &m's, which I am now having trouble finding in the grocery store.
• I like them sprinkled with nuts, although the amount shown above is a bit too much (big chunks). I do think it's better to put the nuts on top so nut-phobes can avoid them and so they get a bit toasty (and thus more flavorful) during baking.
• The recipe suggests adding instant coffee (which I haven't tried) or cinnamon. I used 1/2 tsp of high quality cinnamon last time, but couldn't taste it. It must take a lot to compete with all that chocolate!
• Did you notice that only one bowl gets dirty?
• There is no need to adjust the temperature for glass vs. metal pans. I lowered the temp for a glass pan a few batches ago, and they took FOREVER to bake.

UPDATE (April 2010): For a Mexican/Aztec style brownie, add some heat and sweet spiciness. Today I made the recipe above, but included 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chile pepper (smoky and warm) and 2 tsp cinnamon (even better than the China Cassia linked to above). Delicious! I consider this an adult (sophisticated) flavor, but some of the children who tasted samples also enjoyed it.

Best-Ever Hot Chocolate

February is a great time to think about (and to drink) hot chocolate, and I've got a delicious version. It's better and easier than those recipes that call for cocoa powder with powdered milk or coffee creamer. Please don't even mention the bags of "hot cocoa mix"...

The house with the big trampoline might have more kid visitors most of the time, but we definitely draw the apres-sledding crowd.

Hot Chocolate
1 quart milk
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
vanilla, to taste

Heat milk almost to a boil. Add chocolate. Pause. Whisk until chocolate is melted, then add vanilla to taste. Enjoy; we like ours topped with whipped cream or mini marshmallows.

Notes:

• I just splash the vanilla in. I'd guess 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons for this batch.
• To make an individual serving, use 1 cup milk, 3 Tbsp chocolate, and a smaller splash of vanilla.
• We usually use skim milk, but the creamier milks are more luxurious.
• Speaking of luxury, for a more sophisticated drink (dessert?) use whole milk, or milk with part cream, and add bittersweet chocolate. If you don't have bittersweet, make some by substituting unsweetened baking chocolate (chopped or shaved) for part of the chocolate chips (1:3 ratio).
• I usually heat the milk (4-6 cups) in an 8 cup glass pyrex measuring cup in the microwave. After whisking the chocolate and vanilla, it's easy to pour into mugs. For larger batches I use the stovetop and serve with a ladle.