Pink and Puffy and Perfect Strawberry Chiffon Pie

Pink and Puffy and Perfect Strawberry Chiffon Pie, adapted from Kathy Casey’s Northwest Table

Serves 6

Ingredients

Crust

• 1 ½ cups very finely crushed chocolate  wafer cookies (use food processor or put in plastic bag and crush with rolling pin)
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted
• ¾ cup sugar

Filling

• 1 pint fresh strawberries, stemmed and sliced
• ¾ cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh mint leaves
• ½ teaspoon finely ground black pepper
• ½  cranberry or cranberry-raspberry
• 1/2 cup cranberry or cranberry-raspberry juice cocktail (NB:  I used cranberry-pomegranate)
• 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
• ½ cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 egg whites

Garnishes

• Sweetened whipped cream (add one half-teaspoon of vanilla extract, if you like, to boost the flavour)
• Fresh strawberries with stems, halved lengthwise

Directions

1. To make the crust, preheat an oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Thoroughly mix the cookie crumbs, butter, and sugar in a medium bowl.
3. Put the mixture in a 9-inch pie pan and press evenly into the pan bottom, then up the sides and out onto the rim.
4. Bake for about 6 to 8 minutes, then let cool to room temperature.
5. To make the filling, combine the berries and 1/2 cup of the sugar in a food processor and just lightly pulse a couple of times to break up the berries-do not puree or chop fine, and add the black pepper and mint. (If you don’t have a food processor, use a potato masher or clean hands to do this.)
6. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes (no longer!) before continuing.
7. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, stir the cranberry juice and gelatin together.
8. Stir the mixture over low heat until the gelatin is just dissolved, then pour into a large bowl and set aside to let cool.
9. Add the strawberry mixture to the cooled gelatin mixture.
10. Refrigerate, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is partially set-gloppy but not firm. (This takes about 20 to 30 minutes, depending on your refrigerator.)
11. When the mixture is partially set, quickly whip the cream in a mixer until quite stiff and then refrigerate the cream while you whip the egg whites.
12. In a clean, grease-free mixer bowl, beat the egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form.
13. Then very, very slowly add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, and beat until stiff, glossy peaks form.
14. Gently fold the egg whites into the strawberry mixture, then gradually and very gently fold in the cream.
15. Working quickly, mound the filling in the cooled pie shell.
16. Refrigerate the pie until the filling is firm, at least 3 hours.
17. Garnish with sweetened whipped cream and halved strawberries.

Keep any leftover pie refrigerated for up to 2 days.

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