Categories: Pies, Desserts 
      Yield: 8 servings 
  
---------------------------FOR THE MERINGUE SHELL--------------------------- 
      3 lg Egg whites 
      1 pn Salt 
    1/4 ts Cream of tartar 
    2/3 c  Granulated sugar 
    1/2 ts Vanilla extract 
    1/3 c  Finely chopped walnuts 
           -OR- pecans 
 
------------------------------FOR THE FILLING------------------------------ 
      5 oz Semisweet chocolate 
    1/4 c  Hot milk 
      1 ts Vanilla extract 
      1 pn Salt 
  1 3/4 c  Whipping cream 
      2 tb Confectioners' sugar 
           Chocolate curls * 
  
  * (To make chocolate curls, scrape a bar of chocolate with a vegetable 
  peeler) 
  PREHEAT THE OVEN TO 275F. TO MAKE THE MERINGUE SHELL: Beat the egg whites, 
  salt and cream of tartar together in the large bowl of an electric mixer 
  until soft peaks form. Slowly beat in the sugar. Beat until meringue is 
  very stiff. Beat in the vanilla. Grease a 9-inch glass pie pan. Spread the 
  meringue over the bottom and sides, building up the sides as high as 
  possible. Sprinkle the nuts over the bottom. Bake for 1 hour. (If, after 10 
  minutes, the sides start to sag, gently push back into place.) Turn off the 
  oven and let the shell cool in the oven for 30 minutes. Cool completely on 
  a wire rack. 
  TO MAKE THE FILLING: Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler over 
  hot water. Add the milk, vanilla and salt. Stir until smooth. Cool. Beat 1 
  cup cream until stiff and fold into the cooled chocolate mixture. Spread 
  evenly in the meringue shell. Refrigerate 4 hours. Before serving, beat the 
  remaining cream with the confectioners' sugar until stiff. Spread over top 
  of pie. Decorate with chocolate curls.