Chiffon pie


A chiffon pie is a type of pie that consists of a special type of airy filling in a crust. The filling is typically produced by folding meringue into a mixture resembling fruit curd that has been thickened with unflavored gelatin to provide a light, airy texture; it is thus distinguished from a cream pie or mousse pie, which achieve lightness by folding in whipped cream rather than meringue. To reduce risk of salmonella, it is recommended that a Swiss-meringue be used instead of using raw whipped egg whites. This filling is then put into a pre-baked pie shell of variable composition and chilled. This same technique can also be used with canned pumpkin to produce pumpkin chiffon pie.
The preparation of a mock chiffon pie can be simplified by using flavored gelatin mix and artificial whipped cream substitute.

Origin

The chiffon pie was invented in Los Angeles in 1926 by Monroe Boston Strause, who was known as the Pie King. The original recipe called for beaten egg whites to be folded into a cornstarch-thickened liquid.