Dishing It Up!

by Victoria Mattson

Victoria Mattson is a local cook, confectionaire and writer. She offers healthy and nutritious recipes and food tips in each issue of North County Outlook. Phone (360) 658-9903 or e-mail victoria@northcountyoutlook.com.

Many years ago when I was about to be married, my relatives threw a bridal shower for me. The most precious gift I received that day was a box filled with index cards containing each guest's favorite recipe. This recipe for Chocolate Almond Pie was given to me by my Aunt Marky.

Each and every time I serve it, someone wants the recipe. It is a simple dessert that delights on the first bite. When having this pie for the first time, people wonder what the secrets are to this pie. What makes the filling so silky? The crust is crunchy, but not the traditional graham cracker crust and this also puzzles them.

Aunt Marky called this a Hershey Almond Pie because she used "one large Hershey Almond bar" in her recipe. Over the years I have used many different chocolate almond bars or used plain milk chocolate and added the almonds. When selecting chocolate for the filling, choose bars such as Hershey, Lindt, Ghirardelli, or any other brand you enjoy. You can also use bulk milk chocolate, which becomes readily available in the grocery stores this time of the year. Be sure to purchase pure chocolate, which contains cocoa butter and not vegetable or any other oil.

I hope this pie finds its way to many of your holiday tables!



Chocolate Almond Pie

(serves 12)



CRUST

1 1/3 cup vanilla wafers, crushed

1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup melted butter



FILLING

16 ounces milk chocolate

1 1/2 cup whipping cream

2 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup whole almonds*



TOPPING

1 peppermint stick, crushed

2-3 tablespoons crushed vanilla wafers



*There is no need to add the extra almonds if you start with chocolate bars that already include them.

Butter a 9-inch pie pan. Crush vanilla wafers between two pieces of wax paper or inside a plastic bag. In a small mixing bowl, combine the crushed wafers with the sugar. Stir in the melted butter. Spread the mixture evenly across the bottom and up the side of the pie pan.

Chop the milk chocolate into small pieces and place in a microwave safe bowl. Melt in the microwave, stirring after 30 second increments, until the chocolate is just melted. It should be warm to the touch, but not hot. Set chocolate aside to cool slightly, stirring occasionally.

Whip the cream until peaks start to form. Add 2 Tbsp sugar and vanilla and whip to combine. Gently fold and stir melted chocolate into the whipped cream mixture. Add the almonds and stir just until filling is uniform in color. Pour into pie shell.

Roll the peppermint stick into a fine powder. Sprinkle it over the top of the pie. Sprinkle an additional 2-3 tablespoons of crushed wafers on top of pie. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours. This is a very rich pie, so surprisingly small pieces are all that's needed.



(Editor's Note: This is Victoria's last regular column for North County Outlook, as she embarks on another career adventure. Readers have enjoyed her insightful contributions over the years, and we at NCO wish her the best of luck in her future endeavors. Beginning in January, we'll be introducing a couple of new columnists to the paper, both of whom are also sure to become reader favorites.)