Ingredients
Crust:
¾ cup Oreo Cookie Crumbs
¾ cup Shortbread Cookie Crumbs
¾ cup Marcona Almonds, crushed
2 tablespoons sugar
Pinch of salt
½ cup unsalted butter, melted
Filling:
4 egg yolks cup sugar
1 t vanilla extract
1 cup plus 2 tablespoon sugar
1 ½ cup heavy cream (reserve ¾ cup)
¾ cup buttermilk
3 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
6 tablespoons dark chocolate
Pinch salt
1 tablespoon butter
½ cup Marcona Almonds, chopped
Marshmallow Topping:
2 envelopes powdered gelatin or 8 sheets of gelatin
½ cup plus 1/3 cup cold water
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
4 egg whites, room temperature
Pinch of salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
My Favorite Vacation:
Last May, I flew out to Denver to visit my eldest sister who had been treated for Stage III Ovarian Cancer. Upon seeing her I was excited. She had no idea of the week I was treating her to. I told her the entire week was going to be a celebration all the way to Friday, June 8. Friday, I guess you could call D-Day for us. Will she or will she not be remission. We arrived at her home and I told her to pack a bag because tomorrow will be the start of our perfect week. When we arrived at our destination she was surprised with an unbelievable treat. We both received the full spa treatment, enjoyed jeweled water, and then in our suite there was wine and chocolates waiting for us. The next day we indulged in an amazing brunch and the dessert was her favorite. Next, we ventured to the Denver Botanical Gardens, took in the amazing flowers got sprinkled on from a light rain shower. My sister took in afternoon tea, many wonderful meals the entire week. When Thursday arrived she had me cook for her friends, lamb chop lollipops, pasta, salad, and pie. She kept telling me how scared she was about Friday, and how this had been the best week of her life. I did my best to reassure her, but this week was about celebrating her life no matter the outcome. Friday, she was shaking in scared the entire drive to the cancer hospital. I kept by her side and cheered her the long 6 hours. Finally, all the tests done we arrive to her doctor. Thankfully I was allowed to be there and read over the doctor€™s shoulder€¦my Big Sister is in REMISSION. That is my favorite vacation.
Directions
Crust:
Preheat oven to 400° F. Melt the butter and mix into the Shortbread Cookie, Oreo Cookie Crumbs, crushed Marcona Almonds. sugar, and salt together. Press into pie plate and bake until set.
Filling:
In a small saucepan combine the heavy cream, buttermilk, sugar, cornstarch and pinch of salt, and whisk until smooth. Place over medium-high heat, and bring to a boil, whisking from time to time for the sugar and cornstarch to dissolve and the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. Add the dark chocolate and continue cooking at a low boil for an additional 5 minutes, whisking constantly. In mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks lightly. Pour 1/2 cup of the hot mixture into the egg yolks and whisk thoroughly. Pour the egg yolk mixture into the saucepan and whisk over the heat until thoroughly combined and very thick, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla. Continue whisking until thoroughly combined (mixture will be very thick). Pour half of the chocolate filling into a prepared pie crust. Sprinkle ¼ cup of the Marcona Almonds over the cream filling. Place the remaining ¾ cups of heavy cream in a bowl with 1 T of confectioner€™s sugar and whip. Gently fold the ½ of the chocolate filling with the whipped cream to make a mousse. Gently spread the chocolate mousse filling on top of the cream filling, sprinkle the part of the remaining Marcona Almonds over the filling.
Marshmallow Topping:
In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the 1/2 cup of cold water to dissolve and soften. If using leaf gelatin, soak the leaves in about 2 cups cold water. In a small saucepan fitted with a candy thermometer, mix the sugar and corn syrup with 1/3 cup of water. Place over medium-to-high heat. In the bowl of an electric mixer, pour in the egg whites and beat on low speed until frothy. Add the pinch of salt. When the syrup reaches about 210ºF, increase the speed of the mixer to high and beat the whites until they are thick and fluffy. When the syrup reaches 245ºF, while the mixer is running on high speed, slowly pour the hot syrup into the whites, pouring so that the syrup does not fall on the whisk since some of the syrup will splatter and stick to the sides of the bowl. Scrape the gelatin and water into the pan that you used for the syrup, or put the gelatin sheets and 2 tablespoons of the water into the pan and swirl it to dissolve. (There should still be residual heat left in the pan from making the syrup in it to dissolve it). Pour the liquefied gelatin slowly into the whites as they are whipping. Add the vanilla extract or paste and continue to whip for 5 minutes, until the mixture is feels completely cool when you touch the outside of the bowl. Fill piping bag with marshmallow and pipe onto the pie. Lightly torch the marshmallow.