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For those folks reading this thread who aren't Angel- enjoy- Happy Holidays!

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ORIGINAL: samboct

Angel

If your gram was really a decent cook- she'd turn her nose up at any recipe that involved starting with something in a box that wasn't flour or sugar. I wouldn't touch a pudding out of a box- they all suck. Cool whip? You've got to be kidding me....

Those of us who actually cook, can taste the additives that "food" companies have incorporated into stuff which makes it taste like plastic.

I'll throw out a recipe off a Ghiradelli bar that will not be that hard to do- you can doll it up if you like with whipped cream- and will actually taste good. It is however, an ingredients battle- use lousy ingredients and it'll be harder to do and won't taste as good.

Critical- a good heavy cream. Ultrapasteurized creams are lousy- the flash UV process imparts an ozone taste. Plus it makes it harder to whip.

Also critical- a good milk chocolate. Ghiradelli is a minimum, Callebaut is better- and if you can Lindt from the Lindt store- that's really pretty good. The Lindt stuff in the supermarket isn't as good- may have to do with freshness or how its transported. Hershey's or similar will be a nightmare.

It's called a milk chocolate truffle pie.

9" pie plate

Crust- 4 oz of milk chocolate processed with 2 oz of pecans. If you can't get good pecans-(they'll taste good- no bitterness or oiliness) then substitute a cookie crust- 5 oz of cookies with 1.5 tbsps butter in a food processor- bake at 350 for 5 minutes. If you use anything like Oreos, you're on your own, but the Pepperidge farm soft batch chocolate chip or brownie cookies do fine.

Filling- melt 8 oz of milk chocolate in 1 pint of heavy cream over very, very low heat. Stir minimally, but you need a nice, smooth, consistent blend. If you get this too hot, the chocolate will separate and you're done. Transfer to a mixing bowl and put it in the fridge for several hours. Overnight is fine. Whip- you'll need a good mixer or a very strong arm for this one. When in doubt-taste it. When whipped, add 2 tbsp of Kahlua (Chambord or similar will also work, but it should be a syrupy liquor.) and stir in with a wooden spoon by hand. Add to the prepared pie crust and chill.

Take 4 oz of heavy cream and whip. (better get yourself some extra cream- it's possible to overshoot and you may need to practice)- add a tbsp of superfine sugar. If the store doesn't have superfine- take normal sugar and grind it in a coffee grinder till fine. Do NOT use confectioners sugar- the cornstarch in it tastes lousy. Add a tbsp of Kahlua- again with a wooden spoon. Be very gentle here, the cream will collapse slightly and if you add too much, it won't look nice.

If done correctly, this will taste pretty damn good- although it doesn't really play to your strengths of decorating since all you've got to work with is whipped cream. If you're not a good baker- then you get to choose between aesthetics and taste- you don't get both. I always pick taste.

For those folks reading this thread who aren't Angel- enjoy- Happy Holidays!

Cheers,

Sam