1/2stick4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
Chocolate Ganache Layer
6ozsemisweet chocolatecoarsely chopped
1tablespoonunsalted butter
1/3cupwhipping cream
1/2teaspoonvanilla
Whipped Cream Layer
2cupscold whipping cream
2tablespoonspowdered sugar
1teaspoonclear vanillaregular will work!
Espresso Layer
4ouncescream cheesesoftened
1 1/2cupsmilk
3tablespoonsbrewed coffee
1cuphomemade vanilla pudding mixsee recipe below*
2tablespoonsof ground instant coffee**
1teaspoonvanilla
1eggwhipped until thick and pale
chocolate curls for garnishoptional
Homemade Vanilla Pudding Mix
3cupsinstant nonfat dry milk
4cupsgranulated sugar
1teaspoonsalt
3cupscornstarch
Instructions
Crust
Stir together the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and salt. Add the graham cracker mixture to the melted butter, using your fingers to combine until evenly moistened. Pat crumb mixture into bottom of springform pan and an halfway up the sides. Place pan on a cookie sheet and bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Set crust aside to cool while you make the pie filling.
Ganache
Place chopped chocolate and butter in a double boiler, or in a glass or metal bowl over simmering water, and stir occasionally as it begins to melt. Once chocolate is almost melted, slowly add the cream and vanilla. Stir over heat until smooth and completely melted. Poor ganache into the crust and spread evenly. Set aside.
Whipped Cream
Stir the clear vanilla into the whipping cream. Sift the powdered sugar over the whipping cream mixture and, using the whisk attachment, beat on medium high until stiff peaks form. Reserve 1 1/2 cups for the filling and refrigerate the rest until needed.
Filling
Beat cream cheese in mixer with paddle attachment until smooth. Gradually add the milk and brewed coffee, scraping down sides of bowl occasionally. Turn off mixer and use whisk to combine smaller pieces of cream cheese with the milk. Whisk together the pudding mix and ground instant coffee then whisk into the milk mixture. Whisk in 1 1/2 cups of the whipped cream into the milk mixture. Pour filling mixture into a medium saucepan. Turn flame on medium low and slowly add the whipped egg, whisking in as you cook. Mixture will thicken quickly, so whisk continuously until you have a very thick custard. Do not allow mixture to stick to the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat. Whisk the pudding in the pan, then run it through strainer into a bowl. Place a layer of plastic wrap directly onto the pudding so that a skin does not form. Refrigerate the pudding for about half an hour to cool. When cool, whisk again to make pudding smooth and pour into pie shell on top of ganache. Top with whipped cream.
Refrigerate pie for at least 4 hours (overnight is best) to allow filling to set. To serve, remove pie from the refrigerate about an hour before serving to make it easier to slice.
Homemade Vanilla Pudding
Combine milk, sugar, salt and cornstarch in a food processor and process until uniform. You may need to do this in 2-3 batches. Store mix in airtight canister or a closely covered jar.
To use: Stir the mix in the canister before measuring out 1/2 cup mix into a pan. Add 2 cups milk AND 1 teaspoon of vanilla and cook over low heat, stirring until mixture thickens and comes to a boil. Continue stirring for 1 minute, remove from heat and pour into individual serving dishes. Pudding will thicken further as it cools.