Cardamom Saffron Chiffon Pie

Slofoodgroup Team June 22, 2022

Airy Chiffon Pie with Cardamom and Lime

If you haven’t had a Chiffon Pie before, now is the perfect time to try it. Chiffon pie is the light and airy cousin of the traditional pie, which makes it perfect for the warm season. Combined with the brightness of lime, the cardamom and saffron shine in this light and airy pie. Cardamom has a floral, almost citrus flavor while the saffron brings an earthy and slightly bitter balance to the pie.

Cardamom Chiffon Pie with Saffron

Ingredients

For the crust:

• 1/4 cup all-purpose white flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 8 tbsp unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
• 3 or 4 tablespoon ice-cold water

For the filling:

• 1 tablespoon gelatin
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
• 1 tablespoon warm water
• 4 egg yolks
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 cardamom pods, crushed
• 1/2 cup lime or lemon juice
• 4 egg whites
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup sugar

To garnish:

• whipped cream

Procedure

For the pie dough:

1. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, and salt; add the cold butter to the bowl and rub it with your fingers into the flour until the mixture looks like coarse sand.
2. Add 2 TBSP of cold water and mix until a dough forms; add 1-2 tbsp more of water if needed.
3. Turn the dough to a lightly floured surface and form a disk; wrap in plastic foil and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, best overnight.
4. Once chilled, remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll it out on a lightly floured surface to an 1/8 inch thick and 12 inch in diameter.
5. Carefully transfer the rolled dough to a 9-inch pie dish and press to fit the form; use kitchen scissors to trim any excess dough; carefully pierce the bottom of the dough with a fork; cover and bring back to the fridge until ready to bake.
6. Preheat oven to 180°C/360°F, fan on.
7. Remove the crust from the fridge and lay a round sheet of parchment paper on top; add pie weights on top and bake in the oven for 15 minutes; remove the pie weights and the parchment paper and bake for another 10 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
8. Remove from the oven and allow to cool down completely.

For the filling:

1. In a small bowl combine the gelatine and 1/4 cup water; allow to activate for about 10 minutes.
2. In another bowl, combine the saffron threads and 1 tbsp of warm water and allow to infuse for 10 minutes.
3. In a double boiler (heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water), combine the egg yolks, sugar, cardamom pods, the saffron mixed with water and lime juice; cook the mixture in the double boiler, whisking constantly until thickened and lighter in color, for about 10 minutes.
4. Remove from heat; add the gelatine and mix well until dissolved; allow to cool completely.
5. In a large bowl add the egg whites with the salt and whisk until stiff peaks form; gradually incorporate 1/4 cup of sugar while mixing constantly.
6. Working in thirds, the egg whites to the saffron mixture, making sure no streaks of eggs white remains; pour the mixture into the baked crust and chill until firm, for about 4h.
7. Serve with whipped cream on top.