Triple Layer Chocolate Pumpkin Pie!
Preparation time: 20 minutes plus freezing time
Cooking time: 10 minutes
For crust:
- 1.5 cups chocolate cookies, finely ground (I used Creamy Chocolate biscuits and ate/discarded the cream filling)
- 50g/1.7ozs butter, melted
For chocolate ganache
- 240g/8ozs. dark chocolate
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup cream
For filling
- 250g/8.81ozs. cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup pumpkin puree, well drained*
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla paste
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 cup cream
- 50g/1.7ozs cinnamon chocolate (or milk chocolate)
*you can use tinned pumpkin but since this is hard to find in Australia, I roast pumpkin at 180C/350F until soft, cool it and remove the skin and drain it well. You can then puree the drained flesh in step 3 below.
Step 1 - Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Mix the cookie crumbs and butter and press into a 25cm/10inch pie tin. Bake for 10 minutes and then cool on the counter.
Step 2 - Melt the chocolate, butter and cream together until smooth and liquid. Pour a third of it into the cooled base of the pie tin and allow to set in the fridge.
Step 3 - In a food processor, blend the cream cheese, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and ginger. Empty into a large bowl. Whip the cream until you get soft peaks and fold it into the pumpkin mixture. Spoon into the pie crust. Place in the freezer.
Step 4 - Melt the remaining ganache until liquid but not boiling hot. Cool it if you need to so that it is still liquid but you can dip a finger into it without it feeling too hot. Have a palette knife ready and use it to spread it across the top of the pumpkin mixture on the frozen pie.
Step 5 - Melt the cinnamon or milk chocolate and place in a piping bag and snip a tiny hole at the bottom. Pipe lines in a lattice shape across the pie. Chill for a few hours or place in the freezer for 30-60 minutes to firm up. Then keep refrigerated until ready to serve.