***Chocolate Mousse Pie

By CheeseDiva

Ingredients

• CRUST
• Crust
• 3 cups chocolate wafer crumbs
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• FILLING
• 1 lb.semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 2 eggs
• 4 egg yolks
• 2 cups whipping cream
• 6 tbsp. powdered sugar
• 4 egg whites, room temperature
• CHOCOLATE LEAVES
• 8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
• 1 tbsp.,scant, Crisco
• Camellia or other waxy leaves with 1/8" stems
• TOPPING
• 2 cups whipping cream
• Sugar - Vanilla

Details

Adapted from verybestbaking.com

Preparation

Step 1

Crust: Combine crumbs and butter. Press on bottom and completely up sides if a 10" springform pan. Refrigerate 30 min. or chill in freezer.
FILLING

1
Melt chocolate and cool to lukewarm.
2
Add whole eggs and mix well. Add yolks and mix until thoroughly blended.
3
Whip cream with powdered sugar until soft peaks form.
4
Beat egg whites until stiff, but not dry.Stir a little of cream and whites
5
into chocolate mixture to lighten.
6
Fold in remaining cream and whites until completely incorporated.
7
Turn in to crust and chill at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.
CHOCOLATE LEAVES

1
Melt chocolate with shortening. Spread in thin layer over veined undersides of leaves, being careful not to drip on edges.
2
Refrigerate until firm.
3
Whip remaining 2 cups cream with sugar to taste.
4
Loosen crust on all sides using sharp knife; remove from springform pan. Spread all but 1/2 cup cream over top. Pipe remaining cream in rosettes in center.
5
Gently peel leaves from chocolate, starting at stem end. Arrange in overlapping pattern around rosettes.
6
Cut pie into wedges with thin sharp knife.