Nutella Pie + 14 Pies for Every Occasion

by Cindi Sutter, Founder of The Spirited Table® Recipe by Allison Kave - Epicurious March 2014 - First Prize Pies

If you've never tried Nutella, that ambrosial combination of hazelnuts and chocolate, put this book down right now, run to your nearest grocery store, and buy a jar. Bring a spoon along to expedite the Nutella-in-mouth process. OK, now that we're all on the same Nutella-obsession page, I'll proceed with a recipe that will make you fall into an incoherent puddle of babbling ecstasy, while simultaneously making you the most popular of all your friends (if you can bring yourself to share). What's more, this is a speedy, incredibly easy one to whip up, so you don't have to delay your satisfaction for too long.

For more pies for every occasions go to epicurious.com

Makes one 9-inch (23-cm) pie crust

Ingredients
Chocolate Cookie Crust for one 9-inch (23-cm) pie (see recipe below)
Filling
2 cups (270 g) Nutella
1 1/2 cups (338 g) mascarpone cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt

Topping
1/2 cup (55 g) chopped toasted hazelnuts

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Pat the crust into a 9-inch (23-cm) pie plate. Bake it for 10 minutes, then let it cool completely.
2. Make the filling In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat together the Nutella, mascarpone, and salt until light and fluffy. Spread the filling into the pie shell, cover it with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
3. Top the pie with the chopped nuts, slice the pie, and serve. This pie can be refrigerated for up to 1 week, covered in plastic wrap (but it won't last that long!).

Chocolate Cookie Crust

Makes one 9-inch (23-cm) pie crust
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups (175 g) finely ground chocolate cookie crumbs
5 to 8 Tbsp (70 to 115 g) unsalted butter, melted

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Crumble the cookies into the work bowl of a food processor and process until finely ground. Alternatively, you can put them in a bag and whack them with a rolling pin until finely crushed. Pour the butter into the crumbs and mix (hands are best for this) until the butter is fully incorporated and the texture is that of wet sand. Firmly press the crumbs against the sides of a 9-inch (23-cm) pie pan, then against the bottom of the pan (the underside of a measuring cup works well for smoothing the bottom crust). Chill the crust for at least 15 minutes to help prevent it from crumbling when serving.
3. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, or until fragrant. Remove it and allow it to cool before filling.