Bourbon Chocolate Mousse Recipe 425

Steps:

• For the pie: The day before making the pie, put the cherries and bourbon in an airtight container and let set overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line an 8-inch pie dish with the pie crust. Trim the excess off, crimp the edges and poke the bottom and sides with a fork. Place a piece of parchment or wax paper on the crust in the pie dish and fill three-quarters full with dried beans.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the beans and paper, return to the oven and finish baking until medium brown, another 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool completely.
• In a medium mixing bowl, add the cream cheese, sugar and cocoa powder and whip until light and fluffy. Add the cream, vanilla and salt and whip on low to combine. Turn to high and whip until light and fluffy and stiff peaks form.
• Drain the bourbon off the cherries (save the bourbon and make a nice cocktail for later). Reserve 5 to 6 cherries for decorating the top of the pie.
• Spoon half of the chocolate mousse into the cooled pie shell and spread evenly. Sprinkle half of the remaining cherries over the filling. Spoon the rest of the mousse over the cherries and smooth out. Top with the remaining cherries.
• For the topping: In the same mixing bowl, add the cream, sugar and vanilla and whip until stiff peaks form. Pipe or spoon on the topping and decorate with the saved cherries. Put in the fridge for at least an hour and up to overnight.

Steps:

• Put 4 small (at least 3/4 cup) individual serving bowls in the refrigerator. Bring the heavy cream and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan and remove the pan from the heat (don't just turn off the burner). Stir in the bourbon and vanilla. Add the chocolate and let it sit for 5 minutes without stirring. Whisk the chocolate and cream until smooth and then transfer the ganache to a large bowl. Don't refrigerate. In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites and the salt with a hand mixer on high speed just until they form stiff peaks when you lift the beaters. With a rubber spatula, fold about one-quarter of the beaten whites into the ganache to lighten it. Then gently fold in the remaining whites, taking care not to deflate them. Divide the mousse among the chilled bowls and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes but preferably 1 hour and up to 24 hours. Serving Suggestions Top the mousse with a dollop of whipped cream or crème fraîche and sprinkle with cocoa powder, if desired. Garnish with fresh raspberries or strawberries.