If you haven’t made a chiffon pie before, this would be a good one to start with. There is no stove-top cooking, and the coconut crust goes together in a trice, even if you’ve never made a pie shell before. Make the filling with either decaf or regular coffee, depending on whether or not you want a post-dinner caffeine jolt.
Makes one 9-inch pie
Toasted Coconut Crust for a 9-inch pie (page 34)
1 tablespoon (about 1¼ envelopes) unflavored gelatin
½ cup milk
1½ cups boiling water
¾ cup sugar
1½ tablespoons instant coffee granules
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup Kahlúa or other coffee-flavored liqueur, or rum
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 egg whites
¾ cup heavy (whipping) cream
Form the coconut crust as directed in the recipe.
Sprinkle the gelatin over the milk in a small bowl and let it stand for a few minutes to soften.
Pour the boiling water (be sure it is really boiling, not just steaming) into a large bowl. Add the softened gelatin, ½ cup of the sugar, the coffee, and the salt. Stir until the gelatin has completely dissolved, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the Kahlúa and vanilla.
Refrigerate, stirring or whisking every 7 to 10 minutes, until the mixture is cool but not thoroughly chilled and is beginning to thicken. Depending on the shape and size of the bowl and the depth of the mixture, this will take from 1 to 1¼ hours.
About 5 minutes before you anticipate that the coffee mixture will be properly chilled, prepare the egg whites and whipped cream (a hand-held electric mixer will be useful for beating both). Beat the egg whites in a medium bowl until soft peaks form. Add the remaining ¼ cup sugar and continue beating until the whites stand in stiff peaks. Whip the cream in a separate medium bowl until it too stands in soft peaks. You may use the same beaters, and it is not necessary to wash them.
Scoop the whipped cream and egg whites onto the coffee mixture and, using a rubber spatula or a large wooden spoon, fold everything together quickly yet gently, until evenly blended and there are no drifts of unblended white. Pour the mixture into the prepared crust, mounding it in the center. Swirl the surface with a spoon to make a decorative pattern. Chill for several hours before serving.