Lemon Chiffon Pie
makes 1 (9-inch) pie
This is one of my very favorite desserts even though it takes a little time to make. It is clear tasting and creamy, nothing like the glue that usually passes for lemon meringue pie. I have simplified things a bit by creating a crust that doesn’t need rolling; it just gets patted into place.
This recipe is part of the Barbara Kafka Dessert Anthology.
Crust:
4 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
1 thumb fresh ginger root (l"x l"), peeled and diced
3 tablespoons sugar
1 cup minus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons cake flour
1 large egg plus 1 egg white
1/3 cup melted butter (5 1/3 tablespoons cold), cooled to room temperature, plus small amount to butter pan
Lemon Filling:
2 eggs
4 egg yolks
2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (juice of 4 to 5 lemons), strained
3 cups heavy cream, divided
prep: 1 hour
total: 1 hour 20 minutes, plus 7 hours chilling time
9-inch glass pie pan
food processor
wire rack
large saucepan
flame tamer
whisk
1. The crust: Place rack in lower third of oven and heat to 450F. Lightly butter a 9-inch glass pie pan. Melt the butter and set it aside to cool.
2. Place the zest, ginger and sugar in a food processor and process until well combined, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Add both flours and pulse to combine.
3. Add the egg and process just to combine. With machine running, slowly pour in the butter. Process just until dough comes together and begins to form a ball. It will be slightly oily. Remove it from processor and, with the tips of your fingers, gently press onto bottom and sides of the pie pan until you have an even crust. Prick the bottom of the crust with the tines of a fork. Do not weight.
4. Place pan in oven for 10 minutes. Lightly beat the egg white. Remove pan. Reduce heat to 350F. Brush crust with beaten egg white. Bake for 5 minutes more. Remove and let cool completely on a rack while preparing filling.
5. The filling: Place the eggs, egg yolks, 2/3 cup sugar and lemon juice in a large saucepan and place over medium-low heat. Stir, keeping the mixture moving the whole time, until it is warm to the touch.
6. Tilt the saucepan so the mixture accumulates to one side of the pan. (If cooking by gas, insert a flame tamer under the saucepan athis point.) Using a wire whisk or a hand held beater, beat the liquid to incorporate air in the same way you beat egg whites. Beat without stopping until mixture is thick and ribbony and about quadrupled in volume. This will take about 15 minutes.
7. Place the saucepan flat on the burner and continue beating very hard in a circular motion around the side of the saucepan until the mixture becomes very thick and you see the first signs of steam rising from the surface. Immediately pour the lemon mixture into a clean bowl. Do not scrape the saucepan with a spatula, but discard any egg which may have set on the bottom of the pan. Cover the bowl and set aside to cool for approximately 1 hour to room temperature.
8. Beat 1 1/2 cups of the heavy cream until it holds a soft peak. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and beat until stiff. Fold the whipped cream into the cooled lemon mixture and pour into the prebaked and cooled 9-inch crust. Mound the filling slightly higher at the center than the edges to allow for settling. Refrigerate until set, about 3 hours.
9. Beat the remaining 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream until soft peaks form. Spread a thick layer of it over the lemon filling and put the rest back in the refrigerator to serve with the pie. Put the pie back in the refrigerator to chill for an additional 3 hours. Serve chilled. Pie will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
