Ask Tri-C Culinary Arts senior Beverly Russell what kind of cooking she enjoys most, and a smile instantly appears on her face.
“Baking,” Russell said. “Sugar and butter and chocolate and flour.”
Her mastery of the art of baking certainly came through in her recipe for this year’s Pierre’s Ice Cream Challenge. π, 3.14, Pie, Any Way You Slice It, emerged a finalist, and for good reason.
Simple, yet delicious, Russell’s recipe featured simple pie-crust discs layered with a chocolate ganache – a thick mixture of cream and chocolate – whipped topping and scoops of Pierre’s Signature Mocha Mud Pie Ice Cream.
“My inspiration was Chef Maureen (Leonard),” Russell said. “She is very inspirational and encouraging. She gently pushes me to step beyond my comfort level.”
π, 3.14, Pie, Any Way You Slice It
Pierre’s Ice Cream Challenge – October 2016
Submitted by: Beverly Russell
Cuyahoga Community College
Hospitality Management Program – Culinary Arts
Yield: 12 mini pies
Ingredients
1 pint Pierre’s Signature Mocha Mud Pie Ice Cream
Basic sweet pie crust:
1 ½ cup + 2 tsp bleached all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp sugar
½ tsp salt
6 T (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into ¼-inch pieces and chilled
2 Tbsp vegetable Shortening
5 tsp ice water, or as needed
Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. Add the butter and shortning. Rub the fats between your fingertips and thumbs, or use a pastry blender, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. One tablespoon at a time, work in enough ice water just until the dough comes together, being careful not to over mix. Shape into a smooth ball of dough, flatten into a disk and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to two days.
Ganache filling:
1 cup heavy cream
1, 12-oz bag semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
2 tsp vanilla extract
Heat cream in a small pan on medium heat. Just before it begins to boil, remove pan from heat and add chocolate chips. Distribute so all chips are covered with the cream and let sit for 1-2 minutes. Stir with a whisk until cream and chocolate are melted and smoothly incorporated. Add vanilla and whisk together. Set aside to cool.
Spicy whipped cream:
1 cup heavy cream
3 Tbsp powdered sugar
1 tsp cayenne pepper powder
¾ tsp cinnamon
Combine all ingredients into a sealable jar or into a mixing bowl. Stir to combine. For a sealable jar, seal the top and shake vigorously until the cream is whipped into a thick consistency. For a mixing bowl, use a whisk and mix vigorously until the cream is whipped into a thick consistency.
Final Assembly:
Roll the dough very thin, ¼-inch. Cut with a round cookie cutter or flower cutter. Place in either a 12-cup small muffin pan or, for larger pie shells, use a pan for larger muffins. Cook about 15-20 minutes and let cool. Layer with a small scoop of whipped topping, then ganache, ice cream and, lastly, more whipped topping.
