Bailey's Pi Day Pie

A slice of Bailey's Pie for Pi Day with its dark bottom layer, light mousse layer and whipped cream edging sits on a white plate with the ie in the background and a cup next to the plate.

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Bailey's Pi Day Pie is actually a dual day dessert. It also serves as a great treat for St. Patrick's Day. This no bake pie consists of a deeply chocolate crust, a creamy chocolate layer, topped by a Bailey's Coffee Mousse and wreathed in billows of whipped cream. How irresistible is that?

Prep Time1 30

Chilling Time5

Total Time6 30

Course: Dessert, No Bake, Pie

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Bailey's Pie, No bake pie, Refrigerator Pie

Servings: servings

Calories: 529kcal

Author: Helen S. Fletcher

Equipment

9" pie pan

Ingredients

9" Chocolate Graham Cracker Crust

10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (145 grams)
1 ⅓ cups graham cracker crumbs (170 grams)
¼ cup cocoa, Dutch preferred (25 grams)
½ cup powdered sugar (65 grams)

Milk Chocolate Layer

⅔ cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon instant coffee
6 ounces milk chocolate (170 grams)

Bailey's Coffee Mousse

⅓ cup Bailey's Liqueur
1 ½ tablespoons instant coffee
6 ounces white chocolate (170 grams)
1 teaspoon gelatin
1 tablespoon water
1 ¼ cups heavy cream

Whipped Cream to Finish

1 cup heavy cream
¼ cup powdered sugar (30 grams)

Instructions

9" Chocolate Graham Crust

Spray a 9" pie pan lightly with a non-stick baking spray. Set aside.
Melt the butter and set aside to cool but it needs to say liquid. Cut the white chocolate in smaller pieces. Set both aside.
Break up the graham crackers and add them to a processor bowl. Add the cocoa and powdered sugar.
Process until fine crumbs form.
Pour them into a bowl and add ¾ of the melted butter. Using a fork, toss the crumbs and butter together. Take a small amount and press it between your fingers. If it doesn't stick together well, add more butter.
Pour the crumbs into the pie pan and level out. Press about ⅔ of the crumbs very firmly up the sides of the pie pan. Press the remainder of the crumbs on the bottom of the pie plate. Refrigerate while preparing the next part.

Milk Chocolate Layer

Heat the cream and coffee until steaming but not boiling. Submerge the chocolate under the cream. Wait 3 to 5 minutes and gently whisk to combine fully. Pour into the prepared pie crust.
Let the layer set up at room temperature. It should be room temperature and soft set so the mousse will adhere to it. It's not advisable to refrigerate it. Set aside.

Bailey's Coffee Mousse

The base for the mousse is best made in a small double boiler. One can be fashioned out of a small sauce pan with a bowl placed on top. Add water to the pan but is should not touch the bowl above.
Combine the Bailey's and coffee in the top of the double boiler. Bring the water beneath to a simmer. Do no let it boil. Heat until the coffee dissolves, stirring occasionally. Turn the heat off and submerge the white chocolate under the hot liquid. Let it sit for 3 to 5 minutes then whisk gently to combine. Remove from over the water and cool.
In a very small bowl, combine the 1 tablespoon water and the gelatin, stirring to make sure all of the gelatin contacts the water. Set aside.
When everything is cool, beat the cream just until medium peaks. Do not beat until stiff or it will be difficult to fold completely into the white chocolate base.
Stir ¼ of the whipped cream into the base to lighten it. Fold the remainder of the cream into the mousse, gently but thoroughly. Liquify the gelatin in the microwave for about 5 seconds. Fold it in immediately quickly and gently.
Pour it over the chocolate layer.

Whipped Cream Finish

To finish, beat the 1 cup cream and ¼ cup powdered sugar together until stiff. Fit a piping bag with a number #7 or #8 open star piping tip and pipe a wreath around the edges of the pie covering the seam between the crust and the mousse. If not into piping, cover the top of the mousse with the cream.

Notes

There is always an abundance of photos to guide you in the post above. If you have questions, look at the photos or read the header of the article. Many of them will be answered there.

As always, I recommend using a scale for accuracy and consistency. Flour, in particular, is difficult to measure by volume. For my recipes, I use 140 grams per cup of unsifted all-purpose, bread or whole wheat flour and 125 grams of cake flour. Others may use different weights so use whatever they suggest.

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Dutch Cocoa is my choice for this recipe. It is darker and more mild. Natural cocoa may also be used but the crust will not be as deeply colored or flavored.

Graham Crackers vary from different manufacturers. Some absorb more or less butter so it is good withhold several tablespoons when mixing at first.

I use Instant Coffee as opposed to expresso because I am a tea drinker and use coffee for flavoring. Espresso may be used but I would use ⅔ of what is called for.

Milk chocolate is used so it doesn't take away from the mousse which is more delicately flavored. Dark can be substituted if desired.

Heavy Cream contains 36% butter fat. However, on rare occasions or if you're lucky, 40% cream can be found. Trader Joe's has it in pints. It is much thicker and whips up higher and thicker. Whatever you use, do not cream marked whipping cream as it won't whip up thick enough.

Ghirardelli White Chocolate is my go to white chocolate.

Two small airline or individual serving bottles of Bailey's will be needed if not pouring from a larger bottle. While the use of milk chocolate is specified, dark chocolate can be used but be aware dark chocolate has a tendency to overtake the rest of the ingredients.

Press the crust in really firmly so it doesn't crumble when cut.

Expresso coffee can be used, but at about ¾ strength.

If a lighter coffee flavor is desired, reduce the amount of instant coffee by ½ where every it is called for.

Nutrition