Coffee Toffee Pie

FILLING
2 oz Bittersweet chocolate
1 tb Instant coffee
3/4 c Unsalted butter, room temp
3/4 c Granulated sugar
3 Eggs

TOPPING
2 tb Instant coffee
2 c Whipping cream
1 ts Vanilla
2 tb Coffee liqueur, such as
-Kahlua or Tia Maria
1/4 c Sifted icing sugar

1. To make crust, preheat oven to 350F (180C). Lightly butter a
10-inch (25-cm) springform pan. Cut waxed paper to fit bottom. Brush
or rub with butter, then place butter-side up in pan. Using a fork,
stir flour with chopped nuts, sugar, chopped chocolate and salt in a
large mixing bowl Then, stir in butter and vanilla. Add 2 tb water
and mix until crumbly. If mixture seems dry, stir in remaining 1 tb
water. Turn into a lined springform pan. Press into bottom and
halfway up sides. Bake in centre of pre-heated oven until set and
edges are just starting to brown, about 18 to 20 minutes. Cool on a
rack. Do not remove sides.

2. To make filling, cut chocolate into coarse pieces, To make on top
of stove, place chocolate and instant coffee in a small heavy-bottomed
saucepan set over very low heat. Melt, stirring frequently, and
remove from heat when small pieces of chocolate are still visible,
about 5 minutes. Then, stir until smooth. Or, place chocolate and
instant coffee in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave, without stirring,
on medium until chocolate is almost but not completely melted, about
2 minutes. Stir until smooth, then cool at room temperature while
continuing with recipe.

3. In a mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer or wooden
spoon until very creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and
lemon-colored. Beat in cooled chocolate mixture until combined. Then,
beat in eggs, 1 by 1, beating well after each addition. Pour into
cooled crust, cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour or up
to 1 day (any longer and crust becomes soggy).

4. Because whipped cream does not hold well, plan to add topping no
more than 2 hours before serving, To make topping, stir instant
coffee with cream, vanilla and liqueur, if desired, in a medium-size
mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat until soft peaks form when
beaters are lifted. Gradually beat in icing sugar. Spoon on top of
pie, then use a spoon to mound over filling and swirl surface of
cream. Top with chocolate curls or chopped chocolate, if you wish.
Serve fight away or refrigerate for up to 2 hours. Gently remove
sides from pan. Serve pie chilled on the same day it is made.

Nutrients per serving: 6.1 g protein, 40.5g fat, 37.8 g
carbohydrates, 1.6 mg iron, 59 mg calcium, 524 calories