White Chocolate Mousse Filled Meringue W/Strawberries

AllieOop's Note:

This is the best stuff I have ever put in my mouth. Someone brought this to a potluck at church and she was so overwhelmed with requests for the recipe that she typed it up and handed it out to everyone. It is divine with strawberries, but probably any fruit of your choice will work also. She doubled this recipe to fit a 9x13 inch pan, but I am posting the recipe as given to me.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 35 mins
• Prep Time: 45 mins
• Cook Time: 50 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

Meringue

• 4 egg whites , room temperature
• ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1⁄8; teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Mousse

• 4 ounces white chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons Amaretto
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 ounces cream cheese , softened
• 1 ½ cups heavy cream

Topping

• sliced strawberry
• powdered sugar , for dusting (optional)

Directions:

1. Meringue:.
2. Preheat oven to 275*.
3. Combine egg whites with cream of tartar and salt, beat until foamy.
4. Gradually add sugar while beating to form stiff glossy peaks and then fold in vanilla.
5. Spread over bottom and sides of a well-greased 9 inch pie plate.
6. Bake 50 minutes then turn oven off and let cool in oven without removing.
7. Mousse:.
8. In a double boiler, melt chocolate and cream cheese with liqueur and water until smooth.
9. Let the chocolate mixture cool to about 85 degrees. (A small dab on your upper lip should feel slightly cool and not burn your lip.) If it is too cold, the mixture could be grainy.
10. While the chocolate mixture is cooling, whip the cream in a bowl until it is thickened and barely beginning to hold a shape. (When you tilt the bowl, it should flow to one side, fluffy, but still pourable and not stiff.).
11. Scrape the cream into the chocolate mixture and fold carefully until fully incorporated. (It will seem too soft, but it will firm up, promise.).
12. Pour mixture over cooled meringue and refrigerate.
13. Before serving, top with sliced strawberries and dust with powdered sugar if desired.