Turtle Pie White Dog Café

Turtle Pie White Dog Café
Gourmet November 1989

The White Dog Cafe Cookbook:
Recipes and Tales of Adventure from
Philadelphia's Revolutionary Restaurant

For the crust:
2 1/2 cups fine chocolate wafer crumbs
1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted, skinned, ground
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

For the filling:
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted, skinned, chopped
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 pound milk chocolate, chopped
2 large egg yolks
3 large egg whites
1/2 cup well-chilled heavy cream
10 whole hazelnuts, toasted lightly and skinned, for garnish if desired
Shaved milk chocolate for garnish, if desired

Egg Safety Information

Make the crust: In a food processor process the wafer crumbs, ground hazelnuts and butter until the butter is incorporated well. Spray a 10-inch quiche pan that has a 2-inch removable fluted rim with vegetable shortening and press the crumb mixture into the bottom and up the side. Bake the crust in the middle of a preheated 350-degree F. oven for 12 minutes and let it cool on a rack.
Make the filling: In a heavy saucepan melt 3 tablespoons butter over moderately high heat. Add 3/4 cup of the sugar and cook the mixture, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved, and boil it until it just turns a golden caramel. Remove the pan from the heat and add the chopped hazelnuts and 1/2 cup of the cream. Reduce the heat to moderate and cook the caramel mixture for 2 minutes. Pour the caramel mixture into the crust and let it cool completely. In a metal bowl set over a pan of simmering water melt the chocolate with the remaining 1 cup cream and let the mixture cool to room temperature. In a bowl with an electric mixer cream the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, beat in the yolks, 1 at a time, and beat in the chocolate cream mixture, beating until the mixture is stiff. In another bowl with the electric mixer, cleaned, beat the whites until they hold stiff peaks, beat in
the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar, and beat the mixture until it just
holds stiff peaks. Stir one fourth of the whites into the chocolate mixture, fold in the remaining whites gently but thoroughly, and spoon the filling
into the crust.
Chill the pie, covered loosely, for at least 2 hours and up to 12 hours and remove the rim. In a chilled bowl with the electric mixer, cleaned, beat the cream until it just holds soft peaks. With a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip pipe the cream around the pie, and garnish the pie with the whole hazelnuts and the shaved chocolate. Serves 8 to 10.