What happens when you use egg yolks in cookies or other baking projects and end up with leftover egg whites? You could certainly make an egg white only omelet. But that would be boring. Why not whip up--literally--a special dessert that has the virtue of being low in bad fats, unusual, and very, very good? Angel pies have been around for decades in one form or another. I remember eating them as a child at a local cafeteria. They were sweet and wonderful, with a melt-in-your-mouth appeal. Oddly enough, the pies I ate included crushed up saltine crackers as well as nuts and sometimes chocolate. The combination of sweet and salty worked to hook me. Unfortunately, I haven't had similar pies in years. Apparently angel pies have fallen out of favor with the foodies. Their loss. I've been working on creating an angel pie similar to the ones I used to have years ago, and I think I've come close. This is an easy pie--no piecrust to make. It's sweet but light, perfect after a heavy meal with a cup of coffee or tea.
Angel Pie -- Serves 8+
4 egg whites
3/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar
1 cup of sugar
1/2 chopped almonds
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1/2 teaspoon of almond extract
1/2 cup of round buttery crackers (i.e. Ritz), crumbled
1/2 cup of chocolate chips
1/2 cup of coconut (optional)
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees and coat a deep pie dish with non-stick cooking spray. In a large bowl, whip the egg whites until frothy and add the cream of tartar. Continue to whip the egg whites until they form soft peaks, adding the sugar gradually as you whip the egg whites. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and continue whipping until the egg whites form stiff peaks. Fold in the almonds, buttery crackers, chocolate chips, and, if you'd like, the coconut. Pour the meringue mixture into the prepared pie dish and smooth it out. Bake the pie for about 60 minutes or until firm to the touch. Let the pie cool and serve it with whipped topping or the almond mousse below. Yum, yum, yum. Store the pie at room temperature, loosely covered.
Almond Mousse
Okay this is cheating, but it's fast and easy. Enjoy!
1 3/4 cups of low-fat milk
1 small box of sugar-free vanilla instant pudding mix
1/2 teaspoon of almond extract
1/2 (4 ounces) of a small tub of low-fat whipped topping
Pour the milk into a medium-sized bowl and whisk in the pudding mix, whisking until the mixture thickens. Whisk in the almond extract. With a spatula, fold in the whipped topping until fully incorporated and no white streaks remain. Dollop the mousse on top or alongside servings of the angel pie. Refrigerate any remaining mousse.