Category Archives: Chiffon Pie

Christmas in July

21 Tuesday Jul 2020

Posted by in Chiffon Pie, Nut Pie

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Hello friends!

I’m writing to you today from the state of Virginia, where current temps and humidity are combining to make it feel like 108 degrees or so. Swampy is a word I’d use to describe the feeling upon departing from any air conditioned building. That being said, super happy to be here, and also looking forward to going to another swampy state (Georgia) in a few days. Just remember, fellow Northern Hemisphereans, it’s winter somewhere. Somewhere like Australia.

Flashback to….December 2015, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The hottest Christmas day I will probably ever experience. We were staying at our friends Nathan and Nicole’s house and it was so fun to share a warm back patio “Summer Supper” (a reference to one of P’s favorite books) in lieu of the more cozy indoor meal I typically associate with the Christmas season!

Nic is a fellow pie maker and owner of the Ken Haedrich pie tome. As part of the *many* delicious menu items she had planned for the Christmas meal, we baked not one, but two of Ken’s pies. Below left: Pennsylvania Dutch Apple Sour Cream Pie, and right, Black Bottom Peanut Butter Cloud Pie. Far right, Nic’s cute daughter Indianna. (Between us collectively, three babies have arrived in our families since this photo was taken. Goes to highlight how far back this story got stuck in the pie history bottleneck. It’s been added to its rightful position as Pie #138 in the Pie Gallery!)

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Here’s a little close-up of our starlet:

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And then, a slideshow of Christmas morning pie and luncheon preparations for your viewing enjoyment:

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Captions for several of the photos in the above slideshow:

  • Black Bottom. A fancy term for, spread some chocolate in the bottom of that pie crust please.
  • When you’re baking in Australia from an American cookbook…you gotta break out that kitchen scale!
  • California walnuts (for the Apple Pie) and Australia peanuts (for the Peanut Butter Pie), aww, it’s a metaphor for friendship!
  • Note to self (or Levi if he’s reading this), one of those fancy nut choppers might be a necessary Gelineau kitchen tool…
  • If you’re wondering where the “Cloud” in Black Bottom Peanut Butter Cloud Pie comes in, just pause the slideshow for a moment on the image the peanut butter filling pouring lazily from the mixing bowl. Light as a cloud, my friends, light as a cloud.
  • Graham crackers? Australians have never heard of ’em. Try some good old Arnott’s Shredded Wheatmeal biscuits in your next homemade graham cracker crust! (This particular pie calls for peanuts in the crust in addition to in LITERALLY EVERY OTHER PART OF THE PIE. 10/10 would recommend to your favorite peanut lover.)
  • Wait a second…those pictures are not of pie! But, goodness me, doesn’t all of that food look divine? I’m just over here trying to show that Nic is the next Donna Hay. Only my Australian friends will get that but it’s totally fine.

Other bits and pieces:

  • Nic and I have been talking pie for many years now, and she has even shared a savory pie recipe on this blog before, in the post linked here: A Recipe from Nic.
  • Here’s the story of my first Pennsylvania Dutch Apple Sour Cream Apple Pie: Pie and Music

Sending love to each one of you out there having a hot, cool, chilly, or any kind of beautiful July day. ❤

A Subtle Hint of Chiffon

15 Saturday Sep 2012

Posted by in Chiffon Pie, Chocolate Pie

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When I made this Chocolate Mousse Chiffon Pie, my brother asked me to define what makes a pie classifiable as “chiffon.” I gave some weak answer detailing all of the steps that I took in order to produce said pie. He then ate a piece and described its deliciousness in terms like, “This pie is extra chiffony,” and, “What really makes this pie stand out is the subtle hint of chiffon…”

*Sigh*

I’ve since done some internet research and found that my original, long-winded explanation was basically correct. The thing about chiffon pies is that, by definition, they have many steps. And they are very, very chiffony.

TermWiki: Chiffon pie is created by starting with a custard base, and adding egg whites and gelatin to produce a light, fluffy texture.

American Heritage Dictionary: n.

  1. A fabric of sheer silk or rayon.
  2. Ornamental accessories, such as ribbons or laces, for women’s clothing.

adj.

  1. Of, relating to, or resembling the fabric chiffon.
  2. Made light and fluffy by the addition of beaten egg whites or gelatin: a lemon chiffon pie.

To make Chocolate Mousse Chiffon Pie, you need all of these things.

You also need a graham cracker crust to put them in, obviously.

Oh wait, you’re also going to have to make some coffee…as brewed coffee is one of the ingredients too…I told you this wasn’t going to be easy. Don’t come home from work and think you’ll get this puppy done in time to eat after dinner. No way, no how.

Phase one: coffee, chocolate, and butter in a saucepan.

After twiddling your thumbs and waiting for the chocolate to cool down, you can whisk in some egg yolks and vanilla. But then you should actually find something productive to do with your time, because you’re going to have to refrigerate it for a while, and then add gelatin heated with more coffee…and then let it cool again…yada yada yada.

The fun isn’t over yet. It’s time to beat the egg whites into a froth, and give thanks for your KitchenAid.

Gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate, reuniting them with their long-lost yolks.

Alas; there is no rest for the weary. Now you must wash your mixer’s bowl and beaters, go out to the barn and milk your cow, and whip some cream. Then, fold THAT into the filling.

The finished product: decadent, delicious, and decidedly chiffon in nature. My only concern was that it had some small lumps-it was more annoying visually than when actually eating it. If anyone has a tip for me on avoiding lumps in pies like this, I’d love to hear it!

So, in conclusion, the next time you have five or six hours to kill, make this pie for yourself!

For all my complaining-it was totally worth it.