Lamb and Halloumi Kebabs with Crusty Bread

August 13, 2009

Chiffon Pie

When summer heat makes you wilt what you need is a dessert that’s as light and cold as a snowflake. Chiffon pie comes to mind. Its airy texture gave the dessert its name; according to some food historians, the mother of the professional baker who invented it said the filling was as delicate as a pile of chiffon fabric.

Although chiffon pies were once extremely popular, they fell out of favor because the billowy filling is made with uncooked egg whites, a remote but potential source of salmonella. To mitigate the problem, some modern recipes suggest using cooked whole eggs or other substitutes (such as powdered milk), but the resulting dish lacks delicacy. Some cooks do use raw egg whites, some only from organic eggs, and wash the outsides carefully before cracking the shell. Others just go ahead with the recipe as is, feeling secure that the danger is minimal. For those who wish to bake chiffon pie but don’t want to take any risk, however small, another option is liquid, pasteurized egg whites. These are available in supermarkets – look in the refrigerator case – and substitute them with the equivalent amount of whites called for in the recipe (2 large whites is approximately 1/4 cup). Because they are pasteurized, liquid egg whites will not whip up voluminously, the way regular whites do, and it takes several minutes longer to get a decently thick foam; in addition, the chiffon will not be as fluffy, a tradeoff of texture for safety. Still, chiffon made with pasteurized liquid eggs is ethereal and tender. The choice of egg whites is up to you.

Chiffon fillings are basically cold custards mixed with meringue, a blend of egg whites that have been beaten with sugar. Although similar to old-fashioned Bavarian creams, chiffons usually contain gelatin, to stabilize the fluff. Sometimes they also include whipped cream, but then technically they should be called mousses.

Whatever you call them, the point is that chiffons are refreshing, delicious, lovely looking, easy to make and also the kind of dessert that you can prepare well ahead of serving. Make one on a Thursday for Saturday night company or a Sunday barbecue. Or plan well ahead and freeze the pie, wrapped in plastic, for about one month. Defrost the pie overnight in the refrigerator.

There are a variety of ways to flavor the custard. Make it citrusy and thirst quenching, with lemon, lime or orange, or refreshingly minty (add fresh peppermint or spearmint) or fruit-filled, by mixing in pureed strawberries, raspberries, apricots or blueberries. Pumpkin chiffon pie is a good bet for after a heavy dinner (say, at Thanksgiving). Here are some other suggestions: blend the custard with melted chocolate or espresso-plus-chocolate to create a chocolate chiffon or café au lait chiffon pie. Add candied fruit to make Nesselrode chiffon. Spike the custard with liqueur -- crème de menthe, for example – to make a Grasshopper or other alcohol-infused chiffon.

While classic piecrust is fine for a chiffon filling, you’re better off using a crumb crust. It’s easier to put together and holds up better against the moisture-laden custard. Standard dough tends to become soggy.

Making a crumb crust is almost foolproof. All you do is combine pulverized cookie or other crumbs with melted butter. Some people add sugar but that is rarely necessary. Pre-made crumb crusts are available at the supermarket, but homemade ones taste fresher and offer greater variety – use oatmeal, spice or peanut butter cookies, granola, macaroons, amaretti and so on. You can have some fun with creative pairings of crust and custard: Raspberry Chiffon Pie with Granola Crust; Macadamia Nut Chiffon Pie with Chocolate-Nutmeg Crust; Lime Chiffon Pie with Vanilla-Coconut Crust (see the recipes). In addition, beyond choosing the crumbs you also have an opportunity to add spices and other flavor enhancers such as cinnamon, ground ginger and orange peel. You may get raves for your efforts.

To keep a crumb crust from crumbling or becoming soggy it’s wise to either chill it for about 30 minutes or bake it in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes.

Chiffon pies are so versatile that you can serve them plain, sprinkled with cinnamon or a few chocolate shavings. Or, top the pie with whipped cream or pieces of whatever fruit you’ve included in the custard: lemon slices around the edges of lemon chiffon pie or fresh raspberries covering raspberry chiffon pie, and so on.