Coffee Toffee Pie

---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.04

Title: COFFEE TOFFEE PIE
Categories: Pies
Yield: 12 Servings

---------------------------CRUST---------------------------
1 1/2 c All-purpose flour
3/4 c Finely chopped walnuts
-or pecans
1/4 c Brown sugar
1 oz Bittersweet chocolate,
-finely chopped
1/4 ts Salt
1/3 c Unsalted butter, room temp
1 ts Vanilla
2 tb Cold water (or more)

--------------------------FILLING--------------------------
2 oz Bittersweet chocolate
1 tb Instant coffee
3/4 c Unsalted butter, room temp
3/4 c Granulated sugar
3 Eggs

--------------------------TOPPING--------------------------
2 tb Instant coffee
2 c Whipping cream
1 ts Vanilla
2 tb Coffee liqueur, such as
-Kahlua or Tia Maria
1/4 c Sifted icing sugar

1. To make crust, preheat oven to 350F (180C). Lightly
butter a 10-inch (25-cm) springform pan. Cut waxed
paper to fit bottom. Brush or rub with butter, then
place butter-side up in pan. Using a fork, stir flour
with chopped nuts, sugar, chopped chocolate and salt
in a large mixing bowl Then, stir in butter and
vanilla. Add 2 tb water and mix until crumbly. If
mixture seems dry, stir in remaining 1 tb water. Turn
into a lined springform pan. Press into bottom and
halfway up sides. Bake in centre of pre-heated oven
until set and edges are just starting to brown, about
18 to 20 minutes. Cool on a rack. Do not remove sides.

2. To make filling, cut chocolate into coarse pieces,
To make on top of stove, place chocolate and instant
coffee in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan set over
very low heat. Melt, stirring frequently, and remove
from heat when small pieces of chocolate are still
visible, about 5 minutes. Then, stir until smooth. Or,
place chocolate and instant coffee in a microwave-safe
bowl. Microwave, without stirring, on medium until
chocolate is almost but not completely melted, about 2
minutes. Stir until smooth, then cool at room
temperature while continuing with recipe.

3. In a mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric
mixer or wooden spoon until very creamy. Gradually add
sugar, beating until light and lemon-colored. Beat in
cooled chocolate mixture until combined. Then, beat in
eggs, 1 by 1, beating well after each addition. Pour
into cooled crust, cover and refrigerate until cold,
at least 1 hour or up to 1 day (any longer and crust
becomes soggy).

4. Because whipped cream does not hold well, plan to
add topping no more than 2 hours before serving, To
make topping, stir instant coffee with cream, vanilla
and liqueur, if desired, in a medium-size mixing bowl.
Using an electric mixer, beat until soft peaks form
when beaters are lifted. Gradually beat in icing
sugar. Spoon on top of pie, then use a spoon to mound
over filling and swirl surface of cream. Top with
chocolate curls or chopped chocolate, if you wish.
Serve fight away or refrigerate for up to 2 hours.
Gently remove sides from pan. Serve pie chilled on the
same day it is made.

Nutrients per serving: 6.1 g protein, 40.5g fat, 37.8
g carbohydrates, 1.6 mg iron, 59 mg calcium, 524
calories

Source: the Trellis Cafe in Hubbards, Nova Scotia,
Canada (printed in Chatelaine, February, 1996)

-----