Double Musky Cake

I've held this recipe back because it's so good, it may just be my very best and where do I go from here once I've posted my best? What do I have left I ask you?

This is based on the famous dessert served at the Double Musky Inn in Girdwood, Alaska which has a pecan crust and brownie layer then a layer of mousse (we Alaskans are all about mousse you know). This mousse comes from a separate recipe of mine which I think is better than the restaurant's original mousse (what am I? A mousse connoisseur?) and is just that much closer to heaven. You'll love this I promise.

It's the most requested dessert in the house, so rich and wonderful it will serve an army.

For crust:
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
3 egg whites
pinch of salt
1 cup sugar
30 crushed saltine crackers
1 cup chopped pecans

Beat whites, cream of tartar and salt to soft peaks, gradually add sugar and beat till stiff. Fold in cracker crumbs and pecans. Bake in a greased springform pan at 350 for 12 minutes till lightly brown. Immediately flatten, pressing the crust with the back of a spatula.

For filling:
½ cup butter
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
¼ cup flour
2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt butter and chocolate, stirring until smooth. Cool. Beat eggs and sugar till dripping ribbons (which means that when you allow some of the mixture to drip off of your beaters it drips in wide ribbon-like streams). Add flour, beat till smooth. Add chocolate and vanilla, beat one minute. Pour over the flattened crust and bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Allow to cool completely before adding the next layer.

For mousse:
1 ½ cup semi sweet chocolate chips
2 8-ounce packages of cream cheese
1 1/3 cup powdered sugar
2 cup whipping cream
2 teaspoon vanilla

Melt chips, cool, add cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Whip cream till stiff and combine with the chocolate-cream cheese mixture. Serve spread over filling and topped with extra whipped cream. Chocolate leaves make a beautiful garnish too, if you're up for some extra work.

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As a bonus today, here are a few things to be aware of:

* Thank you to Summer's Nook for awarding me the Yummy Blog Award:
I'm going to pass this along to Ames at Ya Pie! And Hooray for Bananas! for her toffee pudding recipe that you must see. Make that taste.

* Susan at Food Blogga is having a Food Blogga Event called Eat Christmas Cookies that you would definitely like to see.

* Dodging Raindrops posted a Gingerbread Shake recipe that I'm determined to try--I'm on a quest to find gingerbread syrup now.

* Keeping the Castle posted 50 Awesome Crockpot Recipes--with fifty of them odds are at least a few of them are winners.

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