Life By Chocolate Pie (Brownie Chocolate Mousse Pie)

Recently, after an exhaustive research session (key components: me, Google, and my morning cup of coffee-flavored creamer), I learned that "Death By Chocolate" is a term applied to various desserts featuring chocolate as their main ingredient. 

It is true that if God calls me home while I'm eating chocolate (a very likely scenario, by the way, since I am often eating chocolate), I'll die happy. Still, I felt burdened to defend my favorite food group against affiliation with possible demise.

Hence, this "Life By Chocolate Pie."

This easy pie is really nothing more than a bunch of melted chocolate into which you fold some egg whites beaten with sugar and then bake off. You can drizzle it with caramel or serve it in a pool of raspberry sauce. You can make it minty by adding a little peppermint extract to the beaten egg whites and serving it with chocolate syrup melted together with peppermint patties. However you take it, I think you'll be glad you're alive to enjoy the pleasure.

Life By Chocolate Pie {print}

1 9" pie crust...whatever kind you like. I make a press-in tart crust and put it in an 11" quiche pan that I think my husband and I got as a wedding gift a zillion years ago. But this recipe works just fine in a 9" pie pan. If you're using a refrigerated crust, make sure it's been baked for about 10 minutes but no more. If it's a crumb crust (Oreo, graham, whatever) that you're making yourself, bake it for about 5 minutes. The crust does not need to be cooled before you fill it. If you're buying a prebaked crumb crust, you'll all set. 

Filling:

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (semisweet, bittersweet, dark) OR 9 ounces chocolate (not more than 60% cacao, though), finely chopped

3 egg whites without so much as a trace of yolk in them, in a very clean bowl

1/4 tsp. cream of tartar (yes, this matters)

1 teaspoon vanilla

6 tablespoons sugar 

1/8 teaspoon salt (yes, this matters too)

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate chips or chopped chocolate in a medium bowl or saucepan until smooth and, well, melted. (The microwave is the best place to melt chocolate, BTW.) Make sure there is NO water in the bowl or you will have a mess. Set aside. 

In a very clean large bowl with very clean beaters (wipe down with a little vinegar if you're not sure...are you sure?), beat the egg whites, vanilla, and cream of tartar until they form soft, droopy peaks. Add the sugar and salt and beat until they form stiff peaks but are NOT dry. Pour melted chocolate over the beaten egg whites and GENTLY fold together until you don't have big streaks of chocolate. Pour/spoon into your prepared pie shell and smooth the top. Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes until the surface looks dry and starts to crack a little...it will also be somewhat "risen." Don't overbake! Remove from oven and cool at least a little or all the way. Can be served warm, at room temp, or chilled. Serve with adornments and decorations.

Adornments and decorations:

whipped cream (any "version")

shaved chocolate or chocolate syrup or caramel sauce or mini chocolate chips or raspberry sauce or strawberry sauce or fresh berries or whatever

Makes 1 9" pie.

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