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Northwest Mud Pie with Hazelnuts

Source of Recipe


From "Great Pies & Tarts" by Carole Walter



List of Ingredients



• 1/3 cup plus ½ cup chopped hazelnuts, divided
  
• .
  
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
  
• 6 Tbsp cocoa powder
  
• ¼ tsp salt
  
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
  
• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  
• 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
  
• 3 large eggs
  
• 2 tsp Frangelico (hazelnut) liqueur or 1 tsp vanilla extract
  
• ¾ cup dried cherries, coarsely chopped
  
• .
  
• -- Icing --
  
• 6 Tbsp unsalted butter
  
• 6 Tbsp sifted cocoa powder
  
• 2 cups sifted powdered sugar
  
• 6 Tbsp sweetened condensed milk
  
• 1 Tbsp light corn syrup
  
• 2 tsp Frangelico liqueur (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
  






Instructions



1. Preheat oven to 325° F. Lightly grease a 10½- or 11-inch glass or ceramic pie plate and set aside.
   Put hazelnuts in a skillet over medium heat. Toast 4 minutes, shaking pan occasionally. Set aside to cool slightly, then chop finely. Measure 1/3 cup for filling and ½ cup for icing; set both aside.
   
   
2. For filling:
   Sift together flour, cocoa powder, salt and nutmeg; set aside. In large bowl of an electric mixer fitted with beaters or paddle attachment, cream butter and granulated sugar until light in color, 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, at 30-second intervals. On low speed, add Frangelico or vanilla, then dry ingredients, mixing only until blended. Stir cherries and 1/3 cup hazelnuts into batter. Scoop into pie plate and smooth top with back of spoon. Bake 25 minutes. Center of pie will be a little shiny, and a toothpick inserted in center should still be slightly moist. Set on a rack.
   
   
3. For icing:
   Melt butter over low heat in a heavy 2-quart saucepan. Remove from heat and blend in cocoa powder, powdered sugar, condensed milk and corn syrup. Mix as much as possible. Then place back over low heat and stir constantly until icing becomes shiny and thin enough to spread. Remove from heat and stir in Frangelico and ¼ cup hazelnuts. Spread over warm pie while icing is still warm, too. Sprinkle remaining ¼ cup hazelnuts around edge.
   
   Serve slightly warm or at room temperature. If desired, serve with vanilla ice cream or slightly sweetened whipped cream.