Louisiana Hotel Black Bottom Pie®
Servings 8
There are numerous versions of this long-favorite pie. Although the recipe seems complex, after you’ve put this together a few times it turns into an easy assembly line. The result is so luscious and delicate you won’t mind the little extra work.
Crust:
14 gingersnap cookies, crushed
5 tablespoons melted butter
Filling:
1 tablespoon plain gelatin
4 tablespoons cold water
1 3/4 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 egg yolks
Chocolate Layer:
2 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate
1 teaspoon vanilla
Rum Layer:
4 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons rum
Topping:
1 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 tablespoon grated semi-sweet chocolate
Preheat oven to 300° F. In a medium bowl, mix together the crushed cookies
and melted butter. Press the crumb mixture into a 9 inch pan and bake for 10
minutes. Cool.
In a small dish, dissolve gelatin in cold water. Set aside. In a medium
saucepan, scald milk and add in 1/2 cup sugar.
Separately mix cornstarch with salt and beaten egg yolks and add into milk
mixture. Cook in the top of double boiler, stirring constantly, until
mixture thickens. Stir in gelatin. Divide this custard in half.
Melt chocolate, stir in vanilla, and mix with half the custard. Pour into
the baked pie shell. Tip pan around so chocolate coats all sides. Cool
remaining half of custard.
Beat egg whites with cream of tartar, adding in sugar a little at a time,
until stiff. Fold into remaining custard. Stir in rum. Spread over chocolate
layer. Chill well, overnight if possible.
Before serving, whip heavy cream until stiff, adding in powdered sugar
slowly, and pile on top of pie. Grate chocolate over this.