Boozy Chocolate Hazelnut Cream Pie |Cooking With Amanda

Boozy Chocolate Hazelnut Cream Pie Photo

There are two types of people in this world. Those who love chocolate and those who do not. I can relate to the chocolate lovers.

I am one myself. Something is wrong if a day goes by without just a smidge of chocolate in the afternoon or after dinner. I need my chocolate fix.

Then you have your chocolate haters, those people I don't get. I understand allergies, you can't control what your body rejects. However, outright not liking chocolate?!

Boozy Chocolate Hazelnut Cream Pie Picture

What happened growing up that you can hate something so delicious? Something so valuable that it was once treated as currency, or as the Aztecs believed, the food of the Gods!

As you can tell my love for chocolate is strong.

Now I'm an equal opportunity chocolate lover, I like my chocolate bars, chips, cookies, ice creams and pies. Really, if it has chocolate I'm unlikely to turn it down, and this pie is no exception.

Boozy Chocolate Hazelnut Cream Pie Image

It's perfect to serve after a dinner party, bring to a potluck or whip up just because that chocolate craving has struck hard. It's a chocolate lover's dream, and I guarantee you'll have sweet dreams after you dig into a slice.

Peanut butter is usually my go-to chocolate flavor addition, but a bottle of Frangelico was collecting dust on my bar cart and a new container of chocolate hazelnut spread just happened to fall into my shopping cart one day. The combination was meant to be.

This boozy chocolate hazelnut cream pie really amps up the hazelnut aspect of the title with some ground hazelnut meal mixed into the pastry crust and a generous glug of hazelnut liqueur mixed into the chocolate mousse.

This pie is by no means difficult, the worst part is waiting for the entire thing to set. I just know you're going to love it.

Print Save

Boozy Chocolate Hazelnut Cream Pie Recipe

Embed

Ingredients

For the Pastry Crust:

1 cup Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
3/4 cup Hazelnut Meal
2 tablespoons Granulated Sugar
pinch of Kosher Salt
8 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, cut into cubes
3-4 tablespoons Ice Water

For the Chocolate Mousse:

4 Egg Whites, room temperature
1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
6 ounces Dark Chocolate, 60% cacao
1/2 cup Chocolate Hazelnut Spread, divided
2 cups Heavy Cream, divided
1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/4 cup Frangelico, or hazelnut liqueur
1 cup Toasted Hazelnuts, roughly chopped, to top

Directions

For the Crust:

In the bowl of your food processor add the flour, hazelnut meal, sugar, salt and butter. Pulse 3-4 times until the butter is broken up until the size of a pea.
With the processor running, slowly dribble water from the top, 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough forms together into a ball.
Remove the dough from the food processor and press into an 8 inch pie tin. Press the dough into an even layer on the bottom, out to the sides and crimp the edges as desired.
Place into the refrigerator to chill for 25 minutes.

For the Chocolate Mousse:

While the pie dough is chilling, prepare the filling.
Add the egg whites and sugar in a bowl set over a double boiler and continuously whisk for about 2-3 minutes until the egg whites are foamy and the sugar has completely dissolved.
Transfer to a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and whip on high for about 6-7 minutes until you've reached stiff peaks.
In another bowl set over a double boiler melt the chocolate, let cool slightly and then stir in 1/4 cup of the chocolate hazelnut spread.
Let the chocolate cool completely and fold in the whipped egg whites. Set aside.
In the same mixing bowl pour in 1 cup of heavy cream, vanilla extract and salt. Whip on high until you've reached medium to stiff peaks about 4-5 minutes. Keep an eye on the heavy cream to make sure you don't overbeat the whipped cream.
Gently fold in half the whipped cream into the chocolate mix, then add the liqueur and then the remaining whipped cream. The mousse will be very loose at this point.
Place in the refrigerator to chill and remove the pie dough.

To Assemble the Pie:

Heat your oven to 350°F.
Place parchment paper on top of the pie dough and weigh down with pie weights.
Bake for 15 minutes, remove the parchment and pie weights and bake for another 10. The dough will not brown much but should be dry and not have a shiny look to it.
Let cool completely and then spread the remaining 1/4 cup of chocolate hazelnut spread on the bottom of the crust.
Remove the mousse from the fridge and pour on top.
Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to chill completely for at least 6 hours or overnight.

To Serve:

When ready to serve, whip the remaining whipped cream in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until stiff peaks form and spread on top of the pie.
Top with the chopped hazelnuts.
Pie should be served chilled.
Pie will keep about 2-3 days in the refrigerator.