Contributor Lisa Fielding is a private chef and boutique caterer based in Manhattan who weekends in Litchfield County whenever possible. Many of her Manhattan clients are also Litchfield County weekenders, so work brings her to Northwest Connecticut as well. A Los Angeles transplant, Fielding was a former Hollywood film executive who segued into screenwriting several years ago, which enabled her to pursue her passion for food and entertaining. Lisa’s culinary skill set draws from a broad spectrum of dishes and ingredients.
The heat is on. Seriously. The weather went from chilly and rainy to hot, humid and hello summer overnight. I'm always on the lookout for cool and delicious recipes that don’t bring outside's soaring temps inside. This recipe provides one of the most decadent, luscious and velvety chocolate experiences; requires little to no baking time; and finishes in the refrigerator to be served chilled at the table. Who doesn’t want a nice cold dessert on a hot evening? Warning: This pie is so beyond addictive that you may want to make two, in order to have some the next morning with a strong cup of coffee. I made this last weekend in the country for clients and they were in a fugue state afterward, reeling from the chocolate high and sensorial joy of eating this pie. Plus, this truly falls under the category of "as easy as pie" when it comes to prep and assembly. I make mine in a regular pie plate, and advise a pie server and glass of water to clean the server when plating. It also starts to melt quickly, so get it on the table in a jiffy and put leftovers back in the fridge. Death By Chocolate Mousse PieServes: 8 1 package Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers 1/2 cup melted butter 1 cup heavy cream 14 oz. high-quality semi-sweet chocolate, chopped 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ½ teaspoon Maldon sea salt 2 cups heavy cream 1/4 cup white sugar 1 cup heavy cream, chilled 1/4 cup white sugar 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). 2. In a food processor, pulse cookies and melted butter into a fine crumbly mixture. Press evenly into the bottom of a 9” pie plate. Bake in preheated oven for 5 minutes, and then allow to cool. 3. Combine 1 cup cream, chocolate, vanilla extract and salt in the top of a double boiler. Heat until chocolate is fully melted and mixture is smooth. Pour chocolate mixture into a bowl and place in the refrigerator until it cools to room temperature, about 20 minutes. 4. In a large bowl, beat 2 cups chilled cream with 1/4 cup sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form. Fold whipped cream into chocolate mixture. Pour mixture into cooled crust. 5. Chill pie at least 4 hours before serving. Prior to serving, beat remaining 1 cup cream with 1/4 cup sugar. Beat until stiff, then pipe onto top of pie with a star tip, or place a spoonful on top of each slice.
