Milk Chocolate and Caramel Mousse Pie

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I received a bottle of a, new to me, liqueur for Christmas this year. It was Bailey's, but this version had hints of caramel added to the base and that gave the familiar liqueur an entirely new taste. To be honest, I had absolutely no idea what to do with it until last night. This obviously is not going to be a sponsored post. Late yesterday, I was asked to step in and make desserts for a pot luck supper. I quickly bounced ideas against the contents of my pantry and refrigerator and came up with the pie I'm featuring today. As it happens Monday, January 23rd is National Pie Day and that special request is going to make me seem a more informed and better blogger than I actually am. I, quite by chance, have a pie for National Pie Day to share with you this year. I've been holding on to a recipe for a mousse-style pie for a while now. It had been published in the Providence Food Examiner and I had never gotten around to testing it. I had to make a few substitutions because I had no white chocolate in the house, but I thought I could create a milk chocolate version that would be as tasty. It is that. The pie is extraordinarily easy to make, though it requires considerable time to set. It contains no gelatin, so I'd advise it be made a day before you plan to serve it. The pie contains uncooked egg whites. If there are any in your home with compromised immune system, you should use pasteurized eggs when you make this. I think those of you who try this recipe will enjoy the pie and the ease with which it comes together. Here's the recipe.

Milk Chocolate and Caramel Mousse Pie...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Donna Diegel of the Providence Food Examiner

Ingredients:

1 chocolate cookie pie crust

Milk Chocolate Mousse:

1-1/3 cups milk chocolate baking chips

1/3 cup Baileys with a Hint of Caramel

1/2 cup egg whites (about 4 eggs)

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup heavy whipping cream

Sweetened Whipped Cream Topping:

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/3 cup powdered sugar, sifted

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Chocolate curls or cookie crumbs for garnish, optional

Directions:

1) Melt chocolate and Baileys spirits in top of a double boiler set over hot water. Use a spatula to blend well and keep from burning. Remove from heat.

2) Using an electric mixer, whip egg whites until soft peaks form. Add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, and beat until stiff peaks hold their shape. Set aside.

3) Whip 1 cup heavy cream until stiff.

4) Gently fold egg and whipped cream together.

5) With a large spatula, fold milk chocolate into egg white mixture. Do not over mix.

6) Spoon into cooked pie crust and chill while preparing whipped cream topping.

7) To make topping: Whip heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Spoon or pipe onto top of mousse. Decorate with chocolate curls or cookie crumbs. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.