Heavenly Cherry Pie

By cindygwest

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups chocolate wafer crumbs (about 25 wafers)
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 1 21 -ounce can cherry pie filling
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 unflavored gelatin
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 6 -ounce package white chocolate baking squares (3 squares)
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 1/4 cups whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons coffee liqueur or strong coffee
• Whipped cream (optional)
• Chocolate curls or leaves (optional)

Preparation

Step 1

1.Lightly butter a 9-inch pie plate. In a medium mixing bowl, combine wafer crumbs and melted butter or margarine. Press mixture evenly onto the bottom and side of the prepared pie plate. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 8 minutes. Cool.
2.Spread 1 cup of the cherry pie filling in bottom of crust: set aside. Cover remaining cherry pie filling; refrigerate.
3.In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and gelatin. Add water and white chocolate baking squares. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture boils, chocolate melts, and gelatin dissolves. Remove the saucepan from the heat.
4.In a medium mixing bowl, beat egg yolks. Stir in 3/4 cup of the hot gelatin mixture; stir until combined. Return all to saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture bubbles. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Cover and chill about 45 minutes or until mixture is the consistency of unbeaten egg whites, stirring occasionally.
5.Meanwhile, in a chilled mixing bowl, beat the 1-1/4 cups whipping cream and the liqueur or coffee with electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Gently fold whipped cream mixture into gelatin mixture. Spoon into pie crust. Cover; chill for 4 hours or overnight.
6.Just before serving, spoon remaining cherry pie filling evenly over pie. Garnish with additional whipped cream and chocolate curls or leaves, if you like. Makes 10 servings.