Black Currant Lemon Chiffon Pie

Often in the heat of summer, turning on the oven for more than an hour to bake a pie is the last thing you want to do. Prebaking the crust for this recipe is optional. This is the perfect pie for making at the lake or beach house—the crumb crust is made from store-bought animal crackers, and the chiffon filling is set with gelatin. If you put this pie together in the morning, it will easily be ready by grilling time.

Makes one 9-inch pie

Serves 8 to 10

Animal Cracker Crumb Crust for a 9-inch pie (see here), prebaked or refrigerated until firm

1½ cups black currants

1½ cups granulated sugar

1½ tablespoons ground arrowroot

2 tablespoons water

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 package unflavored gelatin

¼ cup fresh orange juice

1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

½ cup fresh lemon juice (from 3 to 4 lemons)

4 large egg yolks

2 large egg whites

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup confectioners’ sugar

¾ cup heavy cream

This recipe is tart and citrusy, so if you prefer a sweeter pie, add an additional ¼ cup of confectioners’ sugar to the heavy cream when whipping. If you can’t get your hands on black currants, try blueberries or blackberries, and adjust the sugar according to taste and the ripeness of the berries.

Combine the black currants, 1 cup of the granulated sugar, the arrowroot, the water, and ¼ teaspoon of the kosher salt in a heavy-bottomed saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium heat and continue to cook until reduced by half, 12 to 15 minutes. Position a fine-mesh sieve on the rim of a bowl; pour in the black currant sauce and press through with the back of a spatula. Pour the sauce (you should have about ½ cup) into the crumb crust and carefully spread in an even layer. Refrigerate until ready to fill.

Sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the orange juice in a medium bowl to soften. In a medium metal bowl, combine the orange and lemon zests, lemon juice, remaining ½ cup granulated sugar, egg yolks, and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Place the bowl over a larger pot of simmering water, being sure to not let the bowl touch the water, and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thickened to a custard-like consistency, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the softened gelatin and vanilla; stir until dissolved. Refrigerate, stirring often, until the mixture thickens to a soft set, about 25 minutes. If the mixture thickens too much and becomes lumpy, soften it slightly by setting the bowl in a warm water bath and whisking just until smooth.

Beat the egg whites until fluffy, add the confectioners’ sugar, and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Set aside. In a separate bowl, beat the heavy cream until stiff but not grainy. Gently fold the lemon mixture into the beaten egg white in four additions. Follow in the same fashion by adding the whipped cream to the lemon–egg white mixture, folding until no clumps of cream or egg white remain, but taking care not to overmix or deflate the filling. Spoon the mixture over the black currant sauce in the prepared shell and refrigerate until firm, at least 3 hours.

Serve cold; remove the pie from the refrigerator 20 minutes before slicing to make serving easier.

The pie will keep refrigerated for 2 days.