Baking with Olivia and Caroline

Last June we gave you key lime creamsicles, which tasted like summer on a stick. This June, we are giving you a lime chiffon pie of your summer dreams! It is so light and fluffy, has the perfect amount of lime flavor, and the crust, ooooohhhhh the crust! It has a meringue base with crushed pistachios. It’s crunchy, it’s light, it’s sweet, it’s deeeee-lish. We have never made a pie with a meringue crust but can’t wait to try more variations of this with different flavors. It literally is that good.

Meringue crust ingredients

4 egg whites
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup finely chopped pistachios

Preheat oven to 275° degrees.

Beat egg whites, salt, cream of tartar, and vanilla until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar until stiff peaks form and the sugar is dissolved, but the meringue is still shiny. 

Spread mixture on the bottom and up sides of a greased 9” pie plate and sprinkle the entire bottom with the finely chopped pistachios. I used a pastry bag to decorate the edges, but it is not necessary; it just makes for a prettier crust, as you cannot shape the meringue as you can with a traditional pie crust. Bake it low and slow for one hour. Be sure not to open the oven door until the timer goes off! 

Lime chiffon ingredients

4 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup lime juice
2 tbs cornstarch
Zest of one lime
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp vanilla

 Beat egg yolks until thick and lemony colored. Gradually beat in the sugar. Stir in the lime zest, juice, and cornstarch.

In a double boiler, cook the mixture over simmering (not boiling) water, stirring constantly until the mixture is thick, approximately 8-10 minutes. The mixture should have the consistency of pudding. Set aside in the fridge to let cool.

Beat 1 cup of heavy cream together with vanilla until it is the consistency of whipped cream.

Fold the cooled lime mixture into the whipped cream and spread into the cooled meringue crust.

Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight before serving. Decorate with more whipped cream (add a little sugar and some vanilla to sweeten it up a bit). 

I have to admit, that it took me a few attempts to get this pie recipe sharing ready. The first time the lime filling was a bit too runny and the nuts that were in the crust were not chopped fine enough. It created a texture that was a little weird on the palette. It was a recipe that I thought was maybe a flop, and since it wasn’t a big hit, I was ready to bag the entire idea. However, my taste testers thought it should be perfected. I am glad I listened to them because this recipe is definitely a winner. Everyone that ate this absolutely loved it. I have a cute video of my dad and my stepmother trying the pie. If you subscribe to Main Street Magazine Facebook and Instagram pages, you can find it there. Remember, my dad makes a killer lemon meringue pie, and it was his awesome French onion soup recipe we shared back in March. His opinion is important because he knows what awesome tastes like!

As always, enjoy! •

Olivia and Caroline are enthusiastic foodies and bakers who are constantly in the kitchen, as well as explorers who create their own adventures in our area – and did we mention they are mother and daughter? Follow Olivia on Instagram to see her many creations at @oliviawvalentine.