Angel Chocolate Mousse Pie

Preheat the oven to 300˚F. Grease, or spray with vegetable oil cooking spray, a 9-inch glass pie plate.

Place the pecans on an ungreased baking sheet and toast in the oven for 3 to 5 minutes. Check them after 3 minutes; you don’t want them to burn! Remove the pecans to cool and reduce the oven temperature to 275˚F. Grind 1 tablespoon of the nuts in a food processor and set aside.

Place the egg whites in a mixing bowl. Begin beating the egg whites with an electric mixer at low speed. When frothy, add the cream of tartar and gradually add the sugar, beating all the while, until the egg whites are stiff. When you lift the beaters, no egg white should fall from them. Gently stir in the chopped pecans.

Spread the meringue in the bottom of the prepared pie plate and bake for 1 hour. When you remove the meringue from the oven, it will be puffed up, but it will deflate as it cools, leaving a crater in the center for the pie filling.

Cook’s Notes: Make sure your bowl and beaters are absolutely clean and grease-free, or your egg whites won’t beat up nice and fluffy.

The meringue does get soggy if it isn’t eaten the first day after preparation, but the pie is still delicious.

Place the chocolate chips and 6 tablespoons water in a bowl and microwave for 2 minutes, until the chocolate is almost melted. Stir well, making sure that all the chips are completely melted (they will continue to melt as you stir). Let cool, then add the vanilla and fold in the whipped cream. Put the filling into the cooled meringue shell. Sprinkle the reserved ground nuts over the top of the pie filling.

Refrigerate the pie for a few hours before serving. Serve with an additional dollop of whipped cream, if desired.