a chocolate cream pie in a meringue crust, topped with sweet whipped cream and fresh raspberries

This is one of my mother's favorites of my desserts. Lucky for me, it is also one of my favorites and quite easy to make, as long as you have a stand mixer. It's doable with just a hand mixer. I know because I did it many times in the years before I met my lovely big blue KitchenAid mixer. (His name is Cookie Monster.) But your arm will start threatening to fall off partway through the beating of the meringue crust, and then you'll still have the whipping of the chocolate mousse and the whipped cream that goes on top to deal with. 

This is also a recipe that tests your patience and ability to withhold reward. You really should let it sit in the fridge overnight before you gobble it up, something I always have a hard time convincing Mum to do.

You can also leave out the crust and the pie tin, and instead grab some little cups or bowls and spoon the chocolate mousse and whipped cream into those. Let them sit overnight and you'll get several heaping servings of chocolate dessert and not have to deal with the crust. Mom likes this, too.

This recipe is very approximate. I figure you can't go wrong with copious amounts of fat, sugar, and chocolate. Adjust to your taste. I tend to err on the side of too much chocolate (you may have noticed). 

Mum's Chocolate Pie 
adapted from the Betty Crocker cookbook
3 egg whites
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cream of tartar

2 cups whipping cream
 1 cup dark chocolate (chips are easier to melt, but if you want to chop up a bar, feel free)
sugar to taste (I don't use any, but I really like bittersweet chocolate. If you don't, why are you making this? Fine, fine, I forgive you. If you like chocolate, but don't capital LOVE it then you might want to cut back on the amount of chocolate in the filling.)

2 cups whipping cream
1/2 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 275°.

Beat egg whites, sugar, cream of Tartar until stiff peaks form. Butter a 9 inch pie tin. Line it with the meringue. I like to build the meringue up around the edges. I make it smooth on the base and sides, but then I stack it high and make it spiky and pretty around the edges.

Bake for 45 minutes, and then turn off the oven but do not open the door. Let it sit in the oven for 15 more minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the chocolate. Reserve about ¼ C to top with, later. Beat the 2 cups whipped cream until stiff. Fold the chocolate into the whipped cream until the mixture is a uniform amount of delicious chocolate. Taste it. If it is too bitter for you, add some sugar. I do not add sugar. Mom and I like chocolate a lot. I've said this before. (And I will say it again...) 

Smoothed? Well, smooth enough. Delicious? Definitely.

When the pie shell has cooled, spoon the chocolate mixture into it and smooth out the top. Beat the remaining 2 cups of whipped cream with the sugar. Taste. If it is not sweet enough for you, add more sugar. This should be thicker and stiffer than the chocolate cream, but be careful not to turn it into butter. Watch your whipped cream (both times, with the chocolate and with the topping) like a hawk. Unlike merengue, which is pretty much impossible to overwhip, there is a very distinct line between tasty whipped cream and dense, ucky, not good eats and it is very easy to cross. Spoon the whipped cream over the chocolate mousse filling. Sprinkle raspberries, blueberries, blackberries etc. on top if you wish.

To make the designs on top, dip a spoon into the reserved melted chocolate and flick your wrist back and forth in straight lines over the whipped cream. Rotate the pie tin to change the direction of the lines. Refrigerate for eight hours.

I didn't get you any pictures of the pie sliced. I was too busy making day-before-Mother's-Day brunch, and of course eating the chocolately goodness. Next time I make it, I'll upload a good picture of a slice.