Chocolate Day is Tuesday, July 7th and unless you have an air conditioned kitchen at your disposal it is just too hot where I am to temper chocolate. So instead I was thinking along the lines of a cold pie and the idea of adding a little kick began to bubble. I am not a great hot spice fan but I have been watching a shift in the general comfort levels with spice in recipes. There is not enough heat in this recipe to bring on a cooling perspiration but it does give the chocolate umph. So with all the chili chocolate combinations out there right now and dishes like mole sauce for dinner, here is Hot! Frozen Hot Chocolate Pie.
Central and South America is home for the cayenne shrub that has made its way into the cuisine of cultures around the world, the plant growing well in its warmer climates. Native Americans have used cayenne in both food and medicine for over 9,000 years. Capsaicin is the active heat ingredient in cayenne and is known for its pain reducing properties. Substance P is the chemical that carries pain messages to the brain. Capsaicin reduces substance P, limiting the transmission of the pain signal to the brain. Today it is also available in creams to help with shingles and arthritis but on to the pie.
Base:
1 1/2 cups chocolate cookies crumbs
3 Tbsp. sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
Begin as always with an in-spiralling breath. Close your eyes as you breath in. Hold for a moment and then release, slowly expelling all the air. Deep breathing deepens on the out breath. The more air leaves the lungs, the more room there is to fill on the next in breath. Welcome the compassionate spirits and begin.
Combine crumbs, melted butter and sugar in a bowl and stir until mixed. Transfer mixture to the form you are using and press into the corners, making sure not that the edge sure not too thick. A thick rust will be difficult for the fork to get through when frozen. This will make enough for a 9 inch pie shell.
I chose to divide the base into two forms as I had a plan in mind and will explain more about that in a day or two.
You can see from the picture that neither base goes all the way to the top of the form but if the entire base mixture was used in a regular pie pan there would be enough.
Filling:
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup mini marshmallows
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
Combine marshmallows and chocolate chips in a small pot and stir.
Place over medium heat and allow the ingredients to melt. Stir regularly.
Once the ingredients are 3/4’s melted, take the pot off the heat and continue to stir as the heat melts the remaining bits. It might be necessary for the marshmallows to be pressed a little until the mixture is smooth. Add the spices. If cayenne is just not your thing, feel free to leave out. I was surprised to find though that the general consensus was to leave it in.
In a separate bowl whip the cold whipping 
cream into firm peaks. In small amounts add the chocolate mixture a few table spoons at a time.
Too warm and the mixture will deflate the whipped cream and too cold will solidify the chocolate mixture, making it difficult to mix in.
Spoon the filling into the pie and freeze for at least a couple of hours, overnight would be preferred.
Take the pie out of the freezer 10 minutes before serving and allow to thaw.
Finish off with sweetened whipped cream and dark chocolate shaving or mini marshmallows. My intention was to use a blow torch on the marshmallows and finish it like a meringue pie, but “somebody” finished off the last canister.
Hot! Frozen Hot Chocolate Pie from My Kitchen Wand
