Pie and Pastry Bible (45 page)

Make the crust (page 67). Press it into the pan (see page 69) and chill it.

MAKE THE CRANBERRY CHIFFON

Chill a small bowl for the whipped cream.

Wash and drain the cranberries well. Discard any stems or soft berries.

In a medium saucepan, combine the cranberries, the cran/raspberry concentrate, ½ cup of the sugar, and the salt. Bring it to a boil, stirring often. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring often, or until the berries burst and soften and a pink froth covers the top. Remove the pan from heat and cool slightly.

Press the entire mixture through a fine sieve placed over a bowl, and add the lemon juice. You should have about 1 cup of purée (9.35 ounces/26/ grams). Discard any residue remaining in the sieve. Set the bowl near the range with the fine sieve suspended over it.

MAKE THE CUSTARD FILLING

In a small heavy nonreactive saucepan, stir together ¼ cup of the remaining sugar, the gelatin, and the yolks.

Scald the milk
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and stir a few tablespoons into the yolk mixture; then gradually add the remainder, stirring constantly. Heat the mixture, stirring constantly, to just before the boiling point (170° to 180°F.). Steam will begin to appear and the mixture will be slightly thicker than heavy cream. It will leave a well-defined track when a finger is run across the back of the spoon. Immediately remove it from the heat and pour it into the strainer, scraping up the thickened custard that has settled on the bottom of the pan. Stir the mixture until it is uniform in color and add the optional Chambord. Set it aside.

In a chilled bowl, beat the heavy cream with 2 tablespoons of the remaining sugar until it mounds softly when dropped from a spoon. Chill until ready to use.

SERVES: 8
INGREDIENTS	MEASURE	WEIGHT
	VOLUME	OUNCES	GRAMS
Or 1 teaspoons cassava.
Vanilla or Chocolate Crumb Crust for a 9-inch pie (page 67), pressed into the pan and chilled		•	•
Cranberry Chiffon cranberries, fresh or frozen	2 heaping cups	8 ounces	227 grams
frozen cran/raspberry concentrate, undiluted	cup	3.33 ounces	94 grams
sugar	1 cup, divided	7 ounces	200 grams
salt	a pinch	•	•
freshly squeezed lemon juice	2 teaspoons	0.3 ounce	10 grams
Custard Filling gelatin	2 teaspoons	• 6	grams
2 large egg yolks	2 tablespoons +	1.3 ounces	37 grams
1 egg white (reserved)	1 teaspoon
milk	½ liquid cup	4.25 ounces	121 grams
optional: Chambord (black raspberry liqueur)	1 tablespoon	0.5 ounce	16 grams
heavy cream	½ liquid cup	4 ounces	116 grams
Meringue
1 large egg white (reserved)	2 tablespoons	1 ounce	30 grams
cream of tartar	teaspoon	•	•
Cran/Raspberry Glaze	(scant ¼ cup)	(2.5 ounces)	(71 grams)
frozen cran/raspberry concentrate, undiluted	¼ liquid cup	•	•
cornstarch or arrowroot	1 teaspoon	•	3 grams
optional: Chambord	¾ teaspoon	•	•
optional: ½ recipe Whipped Cream (see page 556) for Piping	1 cup	4.3 ounces	122 grams

A MAXIMUM OF 20 MINUTES BEFORE USING IT, MAKE THE MERINGUE

In a mixing bowl, beat the egg white until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form when the beater is raised slowly. Gradually beat in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form when the beater is raised slowly. Set the meringue aside briefly.

Chill the custard by placing the bowl in a bowl of ice water with about a tablespoon of salt added to speed chilling. Stir occasionally for the first 10 minutes and then slowly but constantly for about 10 minutes longer. (If you prefer, you can refrigerate the mixture, stirring occasionally for the first 10 minutes and then every few minutes.) When a small amount dropped from the spoon mounds very slightly on the surface before disappearing, immediately remove the bowl from the water bath and, using a whisk, fold in first the meringue, then the whipped cream. The mixture should be well incorporated but still streaky. (You will have 3¾ cups of filling.) Pour it at once into the prepared pie crust and refrigerate until the surface is set before glazing, at least 30 minutes.

MAKE THE GLAZE

In a small heavy saucepan, stir together the cran/raspberry concentrate and the cornstarch or arrowroot (or cassava). Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until clear and thickened. If you use cassava, this will happen just after boiling; if you use arrowroot, this will happen just before boiling. With cornstarch, the liquid needs to be simmered for about 30 seconds after reaching a boil. Remove it from the heat and stir in the optional Chambord. Pour the glaze into a heatproof measuring cup with a spout and drizzle it over the surface of the pie.

Refrigerate for at least 6 hours before serving. To serve: If desired, decorate with a border of piped whipped cream.

STORE

Refrigerated, 3 to 4 days; frozen (without whipped cream border), up to 3 weeks.

UNDERSTANDING

Less gelatin (2 teaspoons instead of 2½ teaspoons) than the usual 1
teaspoons per cup of liquid is used in this filling because of the natural pectin in the cranberries, which causes the mixture to thicken.

PUMPKIN CHIFFON PIE

P
eople who love pumpkin pie—and even those who don’t—adore this airy, more subtle version, especially after a filling holiday dinner. I especially enjoy the strong hit of ginger in the crust echoing the ginger in the filling. In my pumpkin pie recipe, I line the pie crust with a scattering of gingersnap crumbs and ground pecans, but for this chiffon pie, the entire crust is made with them.

SERVES: 8
INGREDIENTS	MEASURE	WEIGHT
	VOLUME	OUNCES	GRAMS
Gingersnap Nut Crumb Crust, made with pecans, for a 9-inch pie (page 68), pressed into the pan and chilled		•	•
Pumpkin Chiffon water	¼ liquid cup	2 ounces	59 grams
gelatin	2¼ teaspoons	0.25 ounce	7 grams
fresh or canned pumpkin purée	¼ cups (15-ounce can is 1¼ cups)	10.7 ounces	303 grams
sugar	¾ cup, divided	5.3 ounces	150 grams
ground ginger	½ teaspoon	•	•
ground cinnamon	½ teaspoon	•	•
nutmeg, preferably freshly grated	½ teaspoon	•	•
salt	½ teaspoon	•	•
milk	½ cup	4.25 ounces	121 grams
3 large eggs, separated yolks whites	1.75 fluid ounces 3 fluid ounces	2 ounces 3 ounces	56 grams 90 grams
cream of tartar	teaspoon	•	•
Optional Garnish ½ recipe whipped cream (see page 556), for piping	1 cup	4.3 ounces	122 grams
coarsely chopped pecans, toasted	¼ cup	1 ounce	26 grams