Recipe: Chocolate Wafer Cookie Crumb Crust

Recipe

Chocolate Wafer Cookie Crumb Crust

Makes one 10-inch pie crust:

1-1/2 cups chocolate wafer crumbs
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Makes one 9-inch springform crust:

2 cups chocolate wafer crumbs (9-ounce package)
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter the baking pan of your choice. Springform pans should have sides at least 2-3/4 inches high.

2. Put the cookie crumbs in a large bowl. Add the melted butter and stir the mixture until the crumbs are evenly moistened with the butter. Transfer the crumbs to the buttered baking pan. Using your fingers, press the crumbs evenly over the bottom and sides of the pan. If using a springform pan, press the crumbs 1 inch up the sides of the pan. Check to see that the crust isn't too thick where the sides and the edges of the pan meet. Bake the crust for 6 minutes.

3. Cool the crust thoroughly before filling or freezing it. Crumb crusts can be baked a day ahead, covered, and stored overnight at room temperature.

To Freeze

Press plastic wrap onto the cooled crumb crust. Cover the pan with heavy aluminum foil and press the aluminum foil tightly around the edges of the pan. Freeze up to 1 month.

From:
Bake and Freeze Chocolate Desserts
by Elinor Klivans
Broadway Books, $27.50
306 pages; 1997
ISBN 0-7679-0013-8
Reprinted by permission.