Mile High Chocolate Pie Food

MILE-HIGH CHOCOLATE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line pie dish with crust; crimp edges decoratively. Fully bake pie crust according to recipe or box instructions. Let cool completely.
• Whisk egg whites and sugar in a medium heatproof bowl set over a medium saucepan of simmering water until sugar dissolves and egg whites are warm but not hot, 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat. Using an electric mixer, beat on medium-high speed until cool, tripled in volume, and stiff peaks form (the tips of the peaks won't fall over when beaters are lifted from bowl and turned upright), about 6 minutes.
• Stir chopped chocolate and butter in a large bowl set over same saucepan of simmering water until melted and smooth, 4-5 minutes; set aside.
• Beat 2 cups cream in another medium bowl until medium peaks form (cream should be soft and pillowy), 5-6 minutes.
• Gently fold egg whites into warm chocolate mixture until fully incorporated (work quickly to prevent chocolate from turning gritty). Gently fold in whipped cream just until no white streaks remain; do not overmix or mixture will deflate. Spoon 1/2 cup chocolate mousse into bottom of prepared pie crust; spread evenly over bottom of crust. Sprinkle 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons crushed chocolate wafers over mousse. Top with remaining mousse, mounding in the center to create a dome. (The point is to add height, not to spread out evenly to edges.) Chill pie.
• Beat remaining 2 cups cream, crème fraîche, and salt until medium-stiff peaks form (when the beaters are lifted from the cream, the peaks will hold their shape but the tips will fall over). Top chocolate mousse with whipped-cream mixture, following the same rounded dome shape. Chill pie for at least 4 hours or, covered, for up to 3 days. (It will slice best if chilled overnight, allowing mousse to set properly.)
• Garnish pie with 2 tablespoons chocolate wafers and chocolate shavings. Slice pie using a clean, dry knife; wipe between slices to ensure clean, elegant pieces.

MILE HIGH MUD PIE

Steps:

• Line an 8-quart bowl with overhanging plastic wrap.
• Tip the coffee ice cream into the bowl and smooth the surface. Sprinkle over the chopped pecans and freeze until the ice cream is firm, at least 1 hour.
• Tip the chocolate ice cream into the bowl and smooth the surface. Sprinkle over the chocolate-coated toffee pieces and freeze until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, make the crust: Put the sandwich cookies in a food processor and pulse until fine crumbs. Pour in the melted butter and pulse to combine.
• Tip the vanilla ice cream into the bowl and smooth the surface. Tip the crust on top of the vanilla ice cream, spread it evenly and press down firmly. Freeze again until completely set, 4 hours and up to overnight.
• Turn out the pie onto a board or serving platter lined with 4 squares of parchment arranged so that the paper overhangs the edges of the platter. Peel off the plastic wrap and pour over the chocolate shell ice cream sauce to coat the entire pie. Carefully slide out the sheets of parchment and discard.
• To serve, cut big slices of pie, drizzle over some warm caramel sauce and stick a steak knife into the center standing up.

MILE-HIGH FUDGE BROWNIE PIE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Microwave chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min. or until butter is melted; stir until chocolate is completely melted. Add sugar; mix well. Blend in eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour until blended. Spread onto bottom of 9-inch pie plate sprayed with cooking spray.
• Bake 30 min. or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely.
• Scoop out center of brownie with spoon, leaving thin layer on bottom and 1/2-inch-thick rim around edge. Reserve removed brownie pieces for later use.
• Beat pudding mixes and milk in large bowl with whisk 2 min. (Pudding will be thick.) Stir in half the COOL WHIP and all but 1/2 cup of the reserved brownie pieces. Spoon into brownie crust; top with remaining COOL WHIP and reserved brownie pieces.
• Refrigerate 2 hours.

MILE-HIGH TRIPLE-CHOCOLATE-ESPRESSO MOUSSE PIE

Steps:

• Crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush the bottom and sides of a 9-inch-round, 3-inch-deep springform pan with butter. Pulse cookies and granulated sugar in a food processor until finely ground. Add butter and salt, pulsing until texture resembles that of wet sand. Press mixture evenly into bottom and halfway up sides of prepared pan. Bake until crust is set and dry to the touch, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack; let cool completely. (Crust can be loosely wrapped and stored at room temperature up to 1 day.)
• Mousses: Melt both chocolates in separate heatproof bowls set over (but not in) a pot of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until only pea-size lumps remain. Remove from heat; stir until chocolate is completely melted. Let cool to warm room temperature. Stir 1 egg yolk and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla into each bowl just to combine.
• In a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites on low speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar; increase speed to medium-high and beat to soft peaks. With motor running, gradually add granulated sugar and beat to stiff, glossy peaks.
• Stir 1 cup meringue into each bowl with chocolate mixture. Divide remaining meringue evenly between mixtures, gently folding in until no streaks remain. Whisk cream with confectioners' sugar to soft peaks. Divide evenly between chocolate mixtures, gently folding in until no streaks remain.
• Pour bittersweet-chocolate mousse into crust, smoothing top with an offset spatula. Gently pour milk-chocolate mousse over bittersweet mousse, smoothing top.
• Espresso Cream: Whisk cream, espresso powder, and confectioners' sugar to stiff peaks. Spread evenly over milk-chocolate mousse in pan, smoothing top. Refrigerate until set, at least 8 hours. (Pie can be loosely covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated up to 3 days.)
• To serve, lightly dust top with cocoa, then run a thin knife around edges of pan to loosen; unlock pan and lift sides to remove. Transfer pie to a serving plate or cake stand and cut into wedges.

MILE-HIGH S'MORES PIE

Steps:

• Make the crust: Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Mix the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter in a medium bowl until combined. Press evenly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake until lightly toasted, about 10 minutes; set aside to cool.
• Make the filling: Heat the milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat until almost simmering. Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch and salt in a medium bowl to make a thick paste. Whisk about one-third of the warm milk into the egg mixture until smooth. Add this mixture to the remaining milk in the saucepan and cook, whisking constantly, until it starts to bubble and thicken, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking, whisking, until thick like pudding, 1 to 2 more minutes.
• Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the chocolate until melted and combined. Whisk in the butter until combined. Pour the filling into the graham cracker crust and refrigerate until completely cool, about 2 hours.
• Make the meringue: Whisk the egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar and salt in a large heatproof bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer) until combined. Set the bowl over a medium saucepan with 1 inch of simmering water (don't let the bottom of the bowl touch the water). Cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture is just hot to the touch and the sugar is completely dissolved, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Remove the bowl from the saucepan. Add the vanilla. Beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until stiff glossy peaks form, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a 3/4-inch-wide tip. Pipe large marshmallow-size mounds on the surface of the pie, leaving a small border of the filling exposed. Pipe another layer of mounds on top in a slightly smaller circle, then pipe a third layer on top, using the rest of the meringue. Use a kitchen torch to toast the meringue (or toast under the broiler). Refrigerate the pie until cooled before slicing, at least 1 hour.

MILE-HIGH STRAWBERRY PIE

Steps:

• With an electric mixer, beat the egg whites, strawberries, lemon juice, and sugar for 20 minutes (that's not a typo; it really takes 20 minutes!). It will resemble meringue when ready.
• Fold in the Cool Whip.
• Put in the prepared crust.
• Freeze for several hours.