French Silk Pie

1 (9-inch) prebaked pie shell

Chocolate Mousse

6 oz 60% dark chocolate, chopped

1/4 c + 2 TBS unsalted butter, cubed

4 egg yolks

3 TBS sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 c + 3/4 c heavy whipping cream, divided

Sweetened Whipped Cream

1 c heavy whipping cream

1/2 c powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Chocolate Curls for garnish

Chocolate Mousse: Combine the chocoalte and butter in a heatproof bowl. Set the bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water and stir with a wooden spoon whisk until melted and smooth. Take the bowl off the heat, leaving the saucepan of simmering water on the stove over the heat.

While the chocolate is melting, separate the eggs placing the yolks in another heatproof bowl and add the sugar. Set it over the saucepan and whisk for 5-10 minutes until pale yellow and slightly stiff. Remove from the heat. Stir a small amount of the chocolate into the egg yolks, then whisk all the egg mixture into the bowl of chocolate until well mixed. Add 3/4 c of the cream and whisk until combined. Set aside in the refrigerator to cool.

Whip 1 c of cream and vanilla to soft peaks. Stir about 1/4 of the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture, then fold in the remaining whipped cream with a rubber spatula. Pour into pie crust and smooth the top to the edges.

Sweetened Whipped Cream: Place a large mixing bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer for 10 minutes. In this bowl place the cream, vanilla. After turning on the mixer add the powdered sugar. Beat to stiff peaks being careful not to beat the cream into butter.

Place the whipped cream into a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip and pie onto the pie. Sprinkle with chocolate curls. Refrigerate pie and any leftovers.

Chocolate curls: I use 4 oz bars of chocolate for this recipe, which leaves 1/2 a bar left over. Set the bar on the edge and use a vegetable peeler to make curls.