Caramel-chocolate Pie

Total Time: 1 hr 50 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr 30 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs (about 25 wafers)
• 1/4 cup butter or 1/4 cup margarine, melted
• 30 caramels (i use kraft)
• 2 tablespoons butter or 2 tablespoons margarine
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted (optional)
• 2 (3 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened (i use neufchatel cheese)
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 4 ounces sweet baking chocolate (such as baker's german chocolate)
• 3 tablespoons hot water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups heavy cream (or whipping)
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• chocolate curls, for garnish

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 350 degrees f.
• 2 mix cookie crumbs and 1/4 cup butter.
• 3 press firmly into a 9-inch pie plate (sides and bottom).
• 4 bake for 10 minutes, then cool.
• 5 in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, melt caramels, 2 tbs.
• 6 butter, and 2 tbs.
• 7 water, stirring frequently.
• 8 continue until mixture is smooth.
• 9 pour into baked crust.
• 10 sprinkle with pecans (if using), and chill for about 1 hour.
• 11 beat cream cheese and 1/3 cup powdered sugar until smooth.
• 12 spread over cooled caramel layer, and return to fridge.
• 13 heat chocolate and 3 tbs.
• 14 hot water over low heat in a heavy saucepan until chocolate is melted (don't ask me why it doesn't seize, i thought that too).
• 15 cool to room temp.
• 16 stir in vanilla.
• 17 using a chilled bowl and beaters, whip cream with 2 tbs.
• 18 powdered sugar until stiff peaks form.
• 19 reserve 1 1/2 cups.
• 20 fold chocolate mixture into remaining whipped cream, and spread over cream cheese layer.
• 21 top with reserved whipped cream (i pipe it over the top with a bag and tip) and garnish with chocolate curls.
• 22 refrigerate leftovers.
• 23 to make chocolate curls: use a vegetable peeler on a large chocolate bar over waxed paper.
• 24 works better on room-temp or slightly warm chocolate.
• 25 use a toothpick to place chocolate curls on pie.