Chocolate Mousse Pie

Crust (PLEASE NOTE:  I use a regular flour crust, because I feel like the Oreo crust is too overpowering)

• 21 chocolate sandwich cookies (such as Oreos)
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temperature

Mousse

• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate (We used Guittard--did not chop)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• 3 3/4 cups chilled whipping cream
• 1/4 cup sugar

• Chocolate shavings (optional)

For Crust:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Finely grind cookies in processor. Add butter and process until mixture is evenly moistened. Press crumb mixture onto bottom and up sides of prepared pan to form thin crust. Bake crust 5 minutes. Transfer crust to rack and cool completely.

For flour crust, bake and let cool completely before adding mousse. 

For Mousse:

Simple Instructions:

Bring 1 cup cream to boil in heavy small saucepan.

Add chocolate, vanilla and salt to cream. 

Transfer mixture to large bowl. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.

Beat 2 cups cream and sugar in large bowl to stiff peaks. Fold into chocolate mixture. 

Pour mousse into prepared crust. Chill until set, about 6 hours. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead.)

Kristin's confusing instructions:

Combine chocolate, vanilla and salt in processor. (I do not use a food processor--I like the small chunks of chocolate that don't melt all the way when you just boil it--gives it a nice texture) Bring 1 cup cream to boil in heavy small saucepan. (At this point I just add the bag of chocolate chips and vanilla and salt to the sauce pan of boiling cream.  After it's pretty much melted, then I transfer it to a separate bowl and follow the rest of the recipe) With processor running, gradually pour hot cream through feed tube and process until chocolate is melted and smooth. Transfer mixture to large bowl. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.

Beat 2 cups cream and sugar in large bowl to stiff peaks. Fold into chocolate mixture. Pour mousse into prepared crust. Chill until set, about 6 hours. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead.)

Beat remaining 3/4 cup cream in medium bowl to firm peaks. Transfer to pastry bag fitted with medium star tip. Pipe rosettes of cream around edge of cake. Garnish with chocolate shavings. 

For comments from others about making this pie, go to the epicurious site: 

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chocolate-Mousse-Pie-2687