Last night I watched the great american pie cookoff on Food Network. The winner has 2 great recipes. Here they are:

1. Triple Chocolate Mocha Pie ( I will definitely be skipping all the rose petal parts = )

Recipe courtesy Christine Fiedorowicz, Denver, Colorado


Ingredients
Crust:

* 8 ounces "chewy chocolate cookies"
* 1/2 cup finely chopped roasted almonds
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 5 tablespoons melted unsalted butter

Mocha Filling:

* 7 ounces mascarpone cheese
* 1/3 cup white granulated sugar
* 1/3 cup heavy cream, divided, plus 3/4 cup heavy cream, whipped semi-firm
* 1 heaping tablespoon instant espresso
* 5 ounces semisweet baking chocolate

Ganache:

* 1/2 cup heavy cream
* 2 tablespoons Pakistani rose petals
* 3/4 cup chocolate chips (both sweet and semisweet equally)

Whipped topping and Garnish:

* 1 cup whipped cream
* 3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
* 1 teaspoon almond extract
* Sliced almonds
* Rose petals

Crust preparation:
Directions

Pulverize cookies in food processor until fine crumbs. Add almonds, salt and butter. Press into 9-inch pie plate. Put in freezer for about 10 minutes to set.
Mocha filling preparation:

Beat mascarpone cheese and sugar together with mixer. In microwave heat half the heavy cream. Mix in espresso until dissolved. Add the espresso mixture and rest of heavy cream to cheese mixture. Melt baking chocolate in microwave. Stir into cheese/espresso mixture with spatula until just incorporated. Fold in whipped heavy cream. Pour into frozen/cold pie shell. Freeze for at least 20 minutes.
Ganache preparation:

Bring heavy cream to low simmer with rose petals; remove from heat and let steep for 10 minutes; strain out rose petals. Pour heavy cream over chocolate chips in small bowl

Stir until melted and glossy. Set aside to cool. When pie is frozen enough pour ganache evenly over top and smooth with spoon. Refrigerate until ready to garnish.
Whipped topping and garnish:

Beat cream, sugar, almond extract until semi-stiff peaks. Top pie with whipped topping (piped) and garnish with sliced almonds and rose petals.

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2. Angelle's Dates and Cream Pie
Winner of Pie Cook-off

Recipe courtesy Christine Fiedorowicz, Denver, Colorado


Ingredients
Crust:

* 7 ounces "Honey Graham Crackers"
* 1/3 cup finely chopped pecans
* 4 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
* 1/2 teaspoon salt

Date Layer:

* 10 ounces whole pitted dry dates (recommended: Sunsweet)
* 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
* Dash salt
* 2 tablespoons crushed pineapple
* 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Cream Layer:

* 1 (16-ounce) container sour cream
* 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
* 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Whipped Cream Topping:

* 1 cup heavy whipping cream
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

Garnish:

* 4 to 5 dates, sliced
* 1/4 cup granulated sugar
* 1/4 cup roasted chopped pecans

Crust Preparation:
Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Process graham crackers in food processor until fine crumbs. Put in bowl and mix in chopped pecans, butter and salt. Pat into 9-inch pie pan. Pre-bake crust on bottom third rack of oven for 12 minutes
Date layer preparation:

Coarsely chop dates, then saute dates in butter for several minutes until caramelized; sprinkle with salt. In food processor, pulse pineapple and 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Add dates and process again until chunky.
Cream Layer preparation:

Mix sour cream, sugar and vanilla until well incorporated.
Assembly:

Spread Date mixture evenly over pre-baked crust. Spread cream layer evenly over date mixture. Bake in middle of oven for 25 minutes at 350 degrees F until filling jiggles only slightly in the middle. Cool immediately in refrigerator or on dry ice at least 40 minutes until filling has cooled down and set.
Whipped Cream preparation:

Whip cream, vanilla and sugar until semi-firm peaks form.
Topping/Garnish preparation:

Spread a 1/4-inch layer of whipped cream over top of pie. Slice dates and roll in sugar. Garnish pie with sliced dates, chopped roasted pecans, and pipe remaining whipped cream decoratively.