Chocolate Amaretto Crunch Pie

Crust
3/4 cup finely ground Amaretto cookies
2/3 cup finely chopped almonds
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

Filling
12 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 eggs, separated (room temperature)
3 tablespoons Amaretto liqueur
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 cup whipping cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine cookies, almonds, sugar, flour and salt in processor. With machine running, add butter through feed tube and mix 20 seconds. Pat mixture onto bottom and sides of 10-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Bake 15 minutes. Cool crust completely.

For filling: Melt chocolate in large bowl; set over pan of gently simmering water; stir until smooth. Remove from over water. Beat in yolks; mixture may bind. Using electric mixer, beat in liqueur. Mixture will smooth out.

Using clean, dry beaters, beat whites with 1 tablespoon sugar until soft peaks form. Gently fold whites into chocolate mixture. Using clean, dry beaters, beat cream with remaining sugar and vanilla extract until soft peaks form. Fold 1 cup into chocolate mixture. Cover and refrigerate remaining cream. Spoon filling into crust. Cover and refrigerate at least 6 hours.

Fill pastry bag with remaining cream and pipe rosettes atop pie before serving.