Copycat Josephine's Demise

. . . . inspired by Macaroni Joe’s in Amarillo, Texas

After graduate school at WT in Canyon, Texas ended, my friendship with Danielle that had blossomed over a cup of coffee early in the fall semester continued. We spent many a long lunch at Macaroni Joe’s during my frequent sojourns from Lubbock to Amarillo, and also later, when I moved back to Amarillo while I was finishing up my dissertation at Texas Tech.

Danielle’s favorite entree at Macaroni Joe’s was the Shrimp Capriccio pasta, a version of which, in her honor, landed on our menu at Manna Bread & Wine years later but in salad form. My favorite item at Macaroni Joe’s was Josephine's Demise, a chocolate dessert. This copycat recipe is very close. This filling is based on a chocolate truffle tart found in an old issue of Epicurious.  The ingredients are simple and few; the only tricky part is to not over-bake it.

 Serves 6 - 8.

Make the crust: preheat the oven to 350°. In a food processor, Pulse until coarsely ground . . . . . . . . .   Pulse in until it makes wet crumbs, then press mixture on the bottom and up the sides of a 10-inch spring form pan. Bake for 10 minutes then cool . . . . . . . Make the filling: in a medium bowl in the microwave, melt the butter and chocolate chips in 30-second intervals, stirring until smooth. Cool if needed  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . In another bowl, whisk together . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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½ c. each chocolate wafer crumbs, coconut, and pecans ¼ c. brown sugar 1 stick butter, melted 8 oz. choc. chips, good quality 6 T. butter (¾ stick) 2 eggs ½ c. heavy cream 1 T. vanilla Pinch of salt

Whisk the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture. Pour into the crust and bake until the outer 1 - 1¾ inches are set, 15 - 20 minutes. The middle should still be jiggly. Cool completely and refrigerate or freeze. Serve with a flavored whipped cream, like Grand Marnier, coffee, cinnamon, bourbon, etc. Add chocolate curls for garnish.