Chocolate Mousse Pie

Desert Blooms
The flowers in Desert Meadow Park were spectacular. Love having plantsnap app available to identify plants I don't usually see in the Midwest.
A welcoming sign entering the park. 

 Brilliant colored California Poppies  made an eye catching scene.   

Jenny (on school break visit) and Charley seemed dwarfed by the cactus.

Palo Verde almost ready for yellow leaves to make their spring entrance. Palo Verde in Spanish mean green stick which refers to the color of tree bark. 

Gorgeous Texas Mountain Laurel captured my attention. The fragrance-like grapes.
As the temps soared near 85, it seemed blistering hot for us in the sun with no shade. We sought refuge in a shaded patio for a pie break with a refreshing glass of iced tea.  

Bittersweet Chocolate Mousse Pie

Cook's Notes: A decadent pie where it took a lot of will power to pass on a second slice.  It was one of the easiest pies I've  ever made. Lots of ways to customize your pie that include:  Oreo Cookie or graham cracker crust, semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips, Amaretto or Bailey's Irish Cream, adding mint flavoring and topping pie with crushed cookie crumbs or chocolate sprinkles. Great addition to your holiday cooking as can be made a day before a get together. Be sure to use a good quality chips e.g. Ghirardelli.
Recipe from cooks.com  Recipe below is my customization and note the ingredient list in not lengthy.
Filling Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 TB. plus 1 tsp. cornstarch  
• 3/4 of one 10 oz. Bittersweet Chocolate Chips
• 1-1/2 cups milk (I used 2%)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 TB. confectioners sugar
• 3 TB. Baileys Irish Cream

Oreo Pie Crust

•  2 rows of cookies from a regular package of Oreo cookies
• 2-1/2 TB. melted butter

Directions:

• Use a food processor and crush cookies. Place crumbs in a bowl and mix in melted butter. Press crumbs into a glass pie pan and pat firmly into dish. 
• Chill in freezer.
• In a medium saucepan combine 1/4 cup sugar, cornstarch and chips. Gradually whisk milk into chocolate mixture over medium heat until mixture boils, stirring constantly. Boil 1 minute add in Baileys. Whisk to mix and transfer mixture to a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Cool to room temperature. 
• In a small bowl whip cream, adding in confectioners sugar, beat until stiff. 
• Fold whip cream into chocolate mixture. Spoon into prepared crust. Refrigerate several hours.