Chocolate Mousse Cake

This is hands-down the best dessert ever!  Unless you don't like chocolate.

Chocolate Shortbread Crust

2-4 Tablespoons Cocoa
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons pastry flour to account for the cocoa  (Read about making shortbread and the flour question here.)

I use my food processor to process the butter and sugar until it's smooth.  Then add the cocoa and flour and process until it turns into a ball that follows the blade around the bowl.

Bake in a shortbread mold, cool and then turn into crumbs in your food processor.  This crust beats any chocolate crust out there.

Press the chocolate shortbread crumbs into a 10-inch spring-form pan.

Filling

1 1/2 pounds semi-sweet chocolate chips--good ones.  Don't skimp here.
1 cup half and half
Pinch of salt
1 Tablespoon vanilla
3 cups heavy cream

1 cup heavy cream for whipping for garnish
Chocolate curls for garnish

Process the chocolate chips in the bowl of your food processor until they are finely ground.

Heat the 1/2 & 1/2 and salt in a saucepan just until it comes to a boil.
With your food processor running, pour the 1/2 & 1/2 through the chute and process until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth.  Add the vanilla and process again.

Scrape the chocolate mixture into a large bowl.

Beat the heavy cream until soft peaks form.

Gently fold 1/3 of the whipped cream into the chocolate mix and then fold in the rest of it until it is well incorporated.

Scrape the mousse mixture onto the crust and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.  I usually make this the day before and let it sit in the fridge.  It gets better with age.

Before serving, I pipe whipped cream onto the top and sprinkle with grated chocolate.

To serve, run the blade of a knife that has been dipped in hot water around the edge of the cake.  Then release the spring form and cut into servings.  It serves at least 12, usually 16.