No bake mouse cake

I’ve got this fantastic book with recipes and pictures that can make chocolate lovers cry with joy. This particular recipe got my attention and I was lucky enough to have all the ingredients. So there was nothing to hold me back.

I was really looking forward to have this mascarpone quark pie. As you noticed the title is not mascarpone quark pie. Well maybe you didn’t but the bottom line is there is no mascarpone quark pie. I wish there was…that picture looks fantastic!

Let me tell you what happened:
I started with making the pie crust with some amaretti cookies and melted butter. The recipe called for 275grams of amaretti cookies and 75 grams of melted butter. I used about 50 grams of butter and it was enough. As I don’t have a scale I eyeballed the cookies. One more or less wouldn’t be a problem.

I used a pestle to crush the cookies and then added the butter. After mixing it I poured it in a cake pan and use the round side of my spoon to press it to the sides and the bottom. And to make sure it was pressed enough I used a glass to press it even more. Then it had to set in the fridge for about 30 minutes. Mine was on the table waiting for the stuffing.

The stuffing called for 700 grams of mascarpone, 3 eggs, some vanilla, sugar, flour, coffee liquor, espresso and chocolate. I melted 100 grams of pure chocolate and added one cup of espresso, the zest of 1 orange and a bit of amaretto liquor (my own twist on the recipe).

Then I tried to cream the mascarpone with some sugar and egg yolks. And that’s where things went wrong. I don’t know what caused it (must be me of course) but the mascarpone started to curdle. It was a disaster! The pie was ready and needed to be stuffed and now the stuffing failed!! I was slightly panicking. Lucky I didn’t add the chocolate yet. Then I remembered I still had some whipping cream in the fridge. I took it out and started to whip it with some powdered sugar till it was still a bit runny.

To my melted chocolate I added 250 grams of mascarpone and mixed it till it was a smooth mixture. Then I added this to the whipped cream slowly bit by bit. I didn’t want to over mix this otherwise I would really be in trouble. Because of all that happend I totally forgot to take pictures!

When everything was mixed I was so happy. The mouse tasted GOOD (I couldn't resist licking the bowl)! I poured everything on the pie crust and put it in the fridge so it can set up.

The pie was a winner! The mouse just melts in your mouth. I can’t believe I never made this before. This idea was born out of panic. I think I should panic more often!

To make sure I’d be able to make this again I used:

-         275 grams of amaretti cookes (give or take)

-         50 grams of melted butter

-         ½ liter of whipping cream

-         250 grams of mascarpone

-         100 grams of dark chocolate

-         1 small cup of espresso

-         a dash of amaretto liquor

-         zest of one orange

-         powdered sugar

Make the crust with amaretti crumbs and butter.

Melt chocolate then add the coffee, orange zest, amaretto and when it cools off the mascarpone.

Whip the whipping cream till almost firm.

Add the chocolate mixture bit by bit.

Pour the stuffing in on the crust and let it set in the fridge.

Cut a slice or 2 and serve.

Ps: next time I would use a different cookie for the crust. This one was surpose to be baked in the oven and because it wasn't it got a bit soggy.