Raspberry Chocolate Truffle Pie          



Ingredients:
Crust:
1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
1/2 stick unsalted butter at room temperature

Filling:
4 oz semi-sweet chocolate
2 tablespoons milk
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 3/4 cups whipping cream
1/3 cup Grand Marnier liqueur

Raspberry Sauce:
2 cups fresh raspberries (or two 10-oz packages frozen
sweetened raspberries, thawed.)
1/2 cup granulated sugar (for fresh berries only)
1/4 cup Grand Marnier liqueur
1/2 cup whipping cream, whipped
1 tablespoon shaved semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup fresh raspberries for garnish

Method:
Prepare the oven to 375 degrees F. To prepare the crust, mix together graham cracker crumbs, sugar and cocoa in a medium bowl. With a fork, blend in the butter until the mixture has a crumbly consistency. Using the back of a large spoon, press the crumb mixture firmly in side a 9-inch pie plate to form a crust. Bake crust in the oven for 8 minutes. Remove and let cool. To prepare the filling, melt the chocolate with milk over low heat in a small sauce pan, stirring constantly. Let cool.

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar together. Add the Grand Marnier and melted chocolate mixture and blend. Do not over mix. Whip the cream in a small bowl and fold into the chocolate mixture. Pour the mixture into the cooled crust and spread evenly with a spatula. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. The next day, prepare the raspberry sauce. Using a food processor fitted with a steel blade, puree the fresh berries or thawed frozen berries. Strain out the seeds. If you are using fresh berries, add the sugar and pulse to dissolve the sugar. Add the Grand Marnier and mix until the sauce is blended. Top the pie with whipped cream, shaved chocolate and fresh raspberries. Serve with the raspberry sauce.

Serves 6 to 8.