LEMON OR LIME CHIFFON PIE
One 9-inch single-crust pie
To make Orange Chiffon Pie, substitute orange juice for the water and lemon juice, and orange zest for the lemon zest.
Line a 9-inch pie pan with:
- ½ recipe All-Butter Pie or Pastry Dough, or 1 recipe any pat-in-the-pan dough or Crumb Crust
Bake the crust as directed in About Blind Baking Crusts, About Pat-in-the-Pan Crusts, or About Crumb Crusts.
Combine in the top of a double boiler or a medium heatproof bowl:
- ½ cup (100g) sugar
- ⅔ cup (160g) water
- ⅓ cup (80g) lemon or lime juice
- 4 large egg yolks (whites reserved)
- 1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
Cook and stir these ingredients over simmering water until thick. Add:
- 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon or lime zest
Refrigerate the mixture until it forms little mounds when dropped from a spoon. Be careful not to chill the mixture until it is fully set or it will be impossible to fold in the egg whites. Beat in a large bowl until soft peaks form:
- 4 large egg whites
Beat in gradually and continue beating until the peaks are stiff but not dry:
- ⅓ cup (65g) sugar
Fold the egg whites into the lemon mixture. Fill the pie crust and chill until set, 4 to 6 hours.