As made by one of my children.
INGREDIENTS:
For the pastry
- 60g hazel nuts, toasted and finely ground (use a spice grinder)
- 165g plain flour
- 30g caster sugar
- 125g butter
- 1 small egg, lightly beaten
- A little cold water
For the mousse filling
- 125g plain cooking chocolate
- 60g butter
- 2 eggs
- 100g caster sugar
- 2 tbsp self-raising flour
- 4 tbsp double cream
- 1 1/2 tbsp brandy, rum or other liqueur
- plain chocolate curls or other decoration
- cocoa powder
METHOD: - Start by making the pastry case. Put the hazelnut flour and plain flour in a large bowl and rub in the butter.
- Once the mixture is like breadcrumbs, add in the sugar, then mix in the small egg, and just enough cold water to make a stiff dough. Wrap the dough in clingfilm and chill for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 200 C
- Roll the dough on a floured table and use it to line a large flan tin, around 3.5cm deep and 23cm in diameter. Line the bottom with greaseproof paper and weigh this down with dry baking beans.
- Bake the pastry case for ten minutes, remove from the oven, and remove the beans and lining paper. Return the pastry case to the oven for a further 8 minutes.
- Time to make the filling. Melt the chocolate and butter together and set to cool.
- Whisk the eggs and sugar in a large heatproof bowl over hot water for around ten minutes.
- Sift in the flour, and fold it in, then add the chocolate mixture, cream and alcohol. Use a delicate hand and just mix enough to combine the ingredients well. You need to keep the air trapped in the egg and sugar mix.
- Pour the mixture into the pastry shell and bake at 190 C for 15 minutes.
- Once the pie is cool, decorate with chocolate curls and a dusting of cocoa.
I like something a little fruity with chocolate, you can experiment. We used a bramble liqueur, but sloe gin, raspberry liqueur, cointreau, all would be delicious. It keeps in the fridge, but is best on the day of baking.