A favorite in our household is the light and delicious lemon chiffon pie! This pie is less in calories because of the egg whites that gives the pie its signature airy “chiffon” texture.
The other nice thing about this pie is how fast you can whip it out. I make a traditional pie crust with the addition of 1/4 cup sugar in the pie dough, but you can go with a traditional graham cracker crust and keep one on hand for a quick and crowd-pleasing dessert in less than an hour!!
You can decorate with whipped cream and fruit to make this pie a versatile favorite. Here, we have used whipped cream and the elegant candied lemon peel as decor.
Lemon Chiffon Pie
One 9-inch pie yields 6-8 servings
Prepare baked pastry crust or graham cracker crust in a 9-inch pie pan
Pour 1/4 cup water into a small, heavy saucepan
Sprinkle 1 envelope (2 1/4 teaspoons) unflavored gelatin over the top of the water.
Whisk in 1/2 cup of water, 1/2 cup strained fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest, 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon of sugar, and 4 large egg yolks
Stir constantly with a wooden spoon or heatproof rubber spatula over medium heat until the mixture begins to steam and cots the spoon fairly heavily. Do not allow to simmer or it will become grainy. Immediately pour the mixture into a large bowl and refrigerate for 45-60 minutes or until it forms little mounds when dropped from a spoon. Be careful not to let it set.
Beat 4 large egg whites on medium speed until foamy
Add 1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar
Continue to beat until soft peaks form, then gradually beat in 1/2 cut of sugar
Increase the speed to high and beat until the peaks are stiff and glossy. Using a large rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the gelatin mixture. Spoon the filing into the crust, mounding it in the center. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 1 day.
Recipe taken from The All New All Purpose Joy of Cooking by Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker, and Ethan Becker