I'd never even heard of chiffon pies before coming across this recipe. Apparently they were popular from the 30s up through the 70s, but you don't see them so much these days. I'll still always love the classic cooked custard pumpkin pie, but it was nice to try something a little different this time. This does make a lovely light and airy pie. And it's not as difficult or fussy to make as I was expecting. I did use a ready-made graham cracker crust rather than making my own. Homemade would, of course, be nicer, but I was happy enough with the short-cut.

Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

Slightly adapted from Cook's Country October/November 2016

Ingredients

Crust

• 1 ready-made graham cracker pie crust
OR

• 9 whole graham crackers, crushed into fine crumbs
• 3 Tbsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 5 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

Filling

• 1/4 c. dark rum
• 1 Tbsp. gelatin
• 2 c. pumpkin purée
• 1/3 c. brown sugar
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 c. heavy (35%) cream
• 4 large egg whites
• 1/3 c. sugar

Topping

• 1 c. heavy (35%) cream
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 4 gingersnap cookies, crushed

Directions

Crust

1. Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and ginger and mix well.
2. Stir in melted butter.
3. Press crumbs into bottom and up sides of pie plate.
4. Bake at 160°C (325°F) for ~15 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Filling

1. Sprinkle gelatin over rum and set aside for ~5 minutes.
2. Microwave until mixture is bubbling around the edges and gelatin is completely dissolved (30-60 seconds). Set aside to cool until just warm.
3. Microwave pumpkin until also just warm (1-2 minutes).
4. Beat pumpkin with brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and cream until completely combined.
5. Stir in gelatin mixture.
6. In a clean bowl and with clean beaters, whip egg whites on medium-low until foamy (~1 minute).
7. Increase speed to medium-high and whip to soft peaks (~1 minute).
8. Gradually add sugar and whip until stiff peaks form. (You should be able to invert the bowl without the meringue slipping or dripping.)
9. Whisk about a third of the meringue into the pumpkin mixture to loosen it.
10. Gently fold in the remaining meringue.
11. Scoop the filling into the crust, letting it mound in the centre slightly.
12. Chill for at least four hours.

Topping

1. Combine the cream, sugar, and vanilla in a blender¹ and mix on medium for 30 seconds or so.
2. Increase to high until cream stiffens.
3. Spread cream over pie.
4. Top with crushed gingersnaps.

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¹ Using a blender rather than beating with a hand or stand mixer results in smaller air bubbles and a denser, stiffer whipped cream that will last much longer without "deflating". If the pie will be eaten right away with no chance of leftovers, feel free to use the beaters for extra fluffy whipped cream. ^Back