2017 South Side Pie Challenge

I wasn't sure I was going to do the pie challenge this year. I've done all four categories and was fresh out of ideas. I did think about doing a peach-basil pie, because I love the peach-basil popsicles I make in the summer. I did make a test pie, however, and the results were not good. The flavors were all muddy and the basil got slimy. It was a big disappointing disaster. I decided to make a peach-berry pie, instead, but when I went to register it, I was told the fruit category was full. So I made a chocolate mousse pie. It's really easy, and there's no baking required.

I'll be honest, I bought a premade chocolate cookie crust. It's easy enough to find graham crackers to make your own crust, but crispy chocolate cookies are hard to come by. The first step was to coat the crust with a layer of chocolate ganache.

I put that in the fridge to chill while I made the mousse. I used a recipe from the Gourmet magazine cookbook. I filled the pie crust with the mousse.

Then I topped it with whipped cream.

And finally, I decorated it with chocolate shavings.

I thought it turned out beautifully and tasted great. Here's a side view.

Unfortunately, the judges did not agree with me and I didn't take home a ribbon. I'll be honest, I was very disappointed, but it's for a good cause. All proceeds from the contest go to the hunger programs in my neighborhood, and I'm happy to contribute.