R.G.'s Restaurant Chocolate Pecan Toffee Mousse

Yield: 2 (12 inch) pies; 2 quarts Toffee Sauce

Ingredients

Crust

• 1 pound pecan pieces
• 4 ounces unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 ounces water

Mousse

• 28 ounces semisweet chocolate
• 32 ounces heavy whipping cream
• 2 ounces vegetable oil

Toffee Sauce

• 1 pound unsalted butter
• 3 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 quart heavy cream

Instructions

Crust

1. Grind pecans in food processor about 45 seconds and place in mixing bowl.
2. Melt butter completely and add sugar. Keep heating and stirring until thick smooth paste. Remove from heat and add water, stirring constantly to create a syrup. Pour mixture over pecans and mix thoroughly.
3. Butter and flour 2 (12 inch) tart pans. Press pecan mixture into pans and place in 325 degrees F oven for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and let cool at room temperature.

Mousse

1. In a double boiler, melt chocolate and add vegetable oil. Chocolate should be smooth and almost liquid.
2. Whip cream to form soft peaks. Add hot chocolate while stirring constantly (slow speed of hand mixer will do fine).
3. When chocolate and cream are combined, refrigerate for 2 hours.
4. After 2 hours, remove from refrigerator and stir by hand to make sure mousse is smooth and without lumps. Spoon into pastry bag and pipe mousse into pecan crust. Refrigerate complete pie.

Toffee Sauce

1. Melt butter over medium-high heat and add sugar. Stir mixture frequently. Continue this process until mixture has reached a deep caramel color. Butter and sugar at this point will be separating. No problem. Remove from heat and while stirring constantly, slowly add heavy cream. Caution: When adding the cream, mixture will bubble up and very hot steam will be released. I suggest using a whisk with a long handle or wearing an oven mitt. After cream is added, strain toffee sauce into container and let cool. Sauce is kept refrigerated and therefore will need to be heated when serving.
2. To serve, cut pie into 12 to 16 pieces.
3. Serve individually with 2 ounces of Toffee Sauce ladled over.
4. For added pizzazz, top also with a flourish of fudge sauce and a glob of whipped cream.

Attribution

R.G.'s Restaurant, Tampa, Florida