Pie In The Sky

My guess is that you are all too organized and on-the-ball to need a last-minute Thanksgiving dessert recipe (remember how Thanksgiving is tomorrow? What the...) But, in case I am wrong, how do you feel about cinnamon chocolate mousse pie? 

This winner is from one of my favorite baking blogs, Caroline's Bake Shop. It does require some advance preparation, but that's what tonight is for, right? The key is to leave enough time to let each layer set. I tried to rush it the first time I made it, and I ended up with a goopy (though delicious) mess.

You can make one big pie (though you'll end up with some extra filling), or five five inch pies. Your call.

It goes down like this.

Cinnamon Chocolate Mousse Pie

5 5" pre-baked pie crusts
2 eggs, separated
1/2 tsp. vinegar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 sugar
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup milk
3 cups heavy cream
1 cup marscapone cheese
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
chocolate shavings (optional)

Beat together egg whites, vinegar and salt until still but not dry. Gradually stir in 1/2 cup sugar and beat until stiff. Spread meringue over the bottom and sides of the pre-baked pie shells. Bake in the oven at 325 degrees for 15-18 minutes until the meringue is slightly golden. Set aside and cool.

Melt the chocolate chips and milk (I think stovetop or microwave is fine here). Lightly beat the egg yolks and whisk them into the chocolate mixture until well blended. Spread 4 tablespoons of chocolate over each cooked meringue. Set aside the rest to chill.

Beat together the heavy cream, marscapone, remaining sugar (1 cup) and cinnamon until very thick. Divide the cream into two portions. Fold one half into the chilled chocolate (and make sure it's really chilled). Pour this mixture evenly over the chocolate-painted pie crusts.

I would actually stick everything in the fridge to set up nice and solid (as solid as it will get), and then spread the rest of the cinnamon cream on top.

Top it with chocolate shavings, if you want, and let it chill for at least four hours before you serve it. That is not a joke. And neither is this pie.

Whether you need it for Thanksgiving or not, I hope all of you will be eating this soon! And maybe for those of us who don't have any of our Thanksgiving menu planned yet (I mean, not me, of course...), what is your go-to Thanksgiving dish?