Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Strawberry Chiffon Pie

So, what if you've followed the advice of my sons and made Big Fat Yeast Rolls? That means you have egg whites in a tiny bowl in your fridge, waiting for inspiration to strike. Well, here you are. The ingredient list is a little bigger than what I usually give you, but don't worry; it's pretty easy. The inspiration for this was found in my red plaid cookbook (the one everyone has), but I had to change it to suit both me and the season: no fresh strawberries, and I change everything anyway.

STRAWBERRY CHIFFON PIE

Pie crust, baked and cooled (store bought, or my "Best Ever")
20 ounce bag frozen whole strawberries
1/4 cup sugar
1 envelope plain gelatin
1/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup water
3 egg whites
3/4 tsp cream of tartar

1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 tsp strawberry extract
1/4 cup sugar

In a saucepan, stir together the gelatin and 1/4 cup sugar. Add the 2/3 cup water, and heat while whisking until the sugar dissolves and the mixture simmers. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

Pour 1 cup of the strawberries into a cup, and set aside. Thaw the remaining berries somewhat (I used 1 minute in the microwave, but you may have different ideas). Pulse these strawberries with 1/4 cup sugar in your food processor until they are crushed but not pureed, or mash with a potato masher.

After the gelatin mixture has cooled and somewhat thickened, stir it into the strawberries and set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat the 3 egg whites with the cream of tartar until stiff, then add 1/4 cup sugar one tablespoon at a time. In another bowl, beat the cream until it thickens; add the strawberry extract and the last 1/4 cup sugar and beat until thick.


Slice the cup of strawberries you've set aside thinly (I used my food processor, of course). Stir the mashed strawberries into the whipped cream. Fold in the egg whites. Stir in the sliced strawberries, until it's nicely combined. Spoon this mixture into your baked and cooled crust, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, until it firms up. Fair warning: If you decide you can only wait an hour, your slices won't look pretty. Trust me.

Somehow, despite the fact that my pie didn't look pretty once I cut it (after only one hour), it disappeared just fine. And people are clamoring for more. I think this will reappear very soon!

14 comments:

SissySees said...

Yum. One of the Knight's favorites. I use the recipe in that same plaid book.

pam said...

Yay! I have strawberries in my freezer!

Diane said...

Maybe I can try this with my frozen cherries :) Diane

Sue said...

Looks good. I'll bet no foodables hang around long at your house.

Big Dude said...

I really like the lightness of these pies - it looks delicious

Pam said...

That looks so tasty! I bet it would get gobbled up in one night in my house.

Lapdog Creations said...

So... we're doing Pay It Forward and all..... don't suppose you figured out how to ship FOOD? lol!

gMarie said...

pie never looks pretty after you cut it. Neither does lasagne or cake. But somehow it never affects the taste.

I too have that plaid book - it's one of my go to books. g

Unknown said...

what a cool idea, I bet this is such great flavor.

The Blonde Duck said...

All pies are beautiful!

Jan Mader said...

I'm never going to lose weight...he pie looks delicious!

Tatersmama said...

Just change the directions to "If you cool for one hour,serve in a bowl. If you cool for two hrs, serve on a plate."
See? Simple! ;)
The Old Guy would love this... and since I love him, I might make it for tomorrow nights dessert.

monica said...

Looks so good !! No wonder your people cry for more...

~~louise~~ said...

What a day brightener Marjie. Just what I needed to remind me strawberry season really isn't that far away. In the meantime, there's always summer's frozen bounty. It looks delightful to me.

Thank you so much for sharing...