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There’s nothing I love more than girl’s night in with my two little girls. Lately, it seems my schedule is getting busier and this means being away from them in the evenings. I love the holidays because my oldest has a few weeks off from school and my mom comes to visit us which means lots of girl time.
This week my daughter’s school hosted their annual Christmas program and I decided to surprise her with a special treat – Girl’s Night In and the perfect Mocha Fudge Pie. She loves chocolate almost as much as I do (if not more) but my mocha fudge pie is reserved for special occasions. It’s highly addictive and difficult to have just one slice.
Mocha Fudge Pie is one of my all time favorite dessert recipes that I’ve been making for over ten years from Cooking Light. For some reason I feel less guilty because it’s “light”. By the time I met my husband I had pretty much perfected my technique and prepared it for our first date night in. And by technique, I mean mastering the handheld mixer and not going overboard on the coffee liqueur.
If you love chocolate, you’ll love this pie primarily because it’s super easy and quick. What’s not to love? It’s got brownies, coffee-flavored liqueur, whipped topping and coffee! For this particular girl’s night in I prepared the nonalcoholic mocha version.
Entertaining this month? Give my favorite Mocha Fudge Pie a try. Makes a great dessert for any occasion and travels well!
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup hot water
- 4 teaspoons instant coffee granules, divided $
- 1/2 (20.5-ounce) box light fudge brownie mix (about 2 cups) – I always use Duncan Hines Brownie Mix for this recipe
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
- 2 large egg whites
- Cooking spray
- 3/4 cup 1% low-fat milk
- 3 tablespoons Kahlúa or other coffee-flavored liqueur, divided
- 1 (3.9-ounce) package chocolate-flavored instant pudding mix or 1 (1.4-ounce) package sugar-free chocolate-flavored instant pudding mix
- 3 cups frozen reduced-calorie whipped topping, thawed and divided
- Chocolate curls (optional)
Preparation:
- Preheat oven to 325°.
- Combine hot water and 2 teaspoons coffee granules in a bowl; stir well. Add 2 cups brownie mix, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and egg whites; stir until well-blended. Pour mixture into a 9-inch pie plate coated with cooking spray. Bake at 325° for 22 minutes (brownie will be fudgy when tested with a wooden pick). Let cool completely on a wire rack.
3. Combine milk, 2 tablespoons Kahlúa, 1 teaspoon coffee granules, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and pudding mix in a bowl; beat at medium speed of a mixer 30 seconds. Gently fold in 1 1/2 cups whipped topping. Spoon pudding mixture into brownie crust; spread evenly.
4. Combine 1 tablespoon Kahlúa and 1 teaspoon coffee granules in a bowl; stir well. Gently fold in 1 1/2 cups whipped topping. Spread whipped topping mixture evenly over pudding mixture. Garnish with chocolate curls, if desired. Serve immediately or store loosely covered in refrigerator.
If you’re wondering what that is in the middle. It would be my attempt at being festive. I took a Christmas tree cookie cutter and filled it with chocolate chips. It mildly looks like some sort of tree but not really sure what species. The edges are an attempt to pull it all together with accents of chocolate chips.
Note: Nonalcoholic Mocha Version: When making the pudding mixture, substitute 2 tablespoons 1% low-fat milk for the Kahlúa. In the topping omit the Kahlua and dissolve the instant coffee granules in 1 tablespoon water.
Note: Store remaining brownie mix in a heavy-duty, zip-top plastic bag in refrigerator; use mix to make another pie or a small pan of brownies. To make brownies, combine about 2 cups mix, 1/4 cup water, and 1 lightly beaten egg white in a bowl. Stir just until combined. Spread in an 8-inch square pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 23 to 25 minutes.
Cooking Light
APRIL 1997
Remember to check out Duncan Hines’ website Clever Girls Collective.
