Cranberry Chiffon Pie — Photo:
David Malosh

Cook Time:

0 mins

Active Time:

1 hr

Total Time:

2 hrs 8 mins

Servings:

Yield:

1 9-Inch Pie

With its stunning good looks and its airy texture and bright flavor, our cranberry chiffon pie deserves a place right alongside your pecan, pumpkin, and apple go-tos on the Thanksgiving dessert table. It’s light yet fruity, bold yet creamy—and that color! A custardy base of egg yolks, whole milk, and sugar gives the cranberry filling extra silkiness. The crust is our homemade all-butter favorite. And the crowning glory is a ring of lightly sweetened whipped cream and sugared sparkling cranberries. This beauty is sure to become an annual tradition at your holiday dinner.

Making Cranberry Chiffon Pie Ahead

Like pumpkin pie or pecan pie, our cranberry chiffon pie needs to be made ahead, making it a great option for your Thanksgiving dessert buffet. The assembled pie requires time to chill and set, a minimum of four hours—but you can make it up to two days ahead and hold it in the refrigerator. Add the whipped cream and sugared cranberries just before serving.

Cooked egg white alternative: This chiffon filling uses raw egg whites. As an alternative, you can make an Italian meringue to use in the filling: Combine the egg whites and sugar in a heatproof mixing bowl set over a pot of simmering water and cook, whisking constantly, until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture reaches 160°F on a thermometer. Continue whisking off the heat until glossy, stiff peaks form and the mixture cools.

Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

For the Crust

1 disk Pâte Brisée
All-purpose flour, for surface

For the Filling

8 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries (2 cups)
1/2 cup sugar, divided, plus 1/3 cup
1/2 cup 100% pure pomegranate juice
1 1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
2 large eggs, separated
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (we use Diamond Crystal)
Lightly sweetened whipped cream, for serving
Sparkling Cranberries, for serving (optional)

Directions

Roll out pastry, fit into pie dish, and crimp:

Roll out dough on a floured work surface to a 12-inch round. Transfer to a standard 9-inch pie dish. Trim to a 1-inch overhang, then fold overhang under itself until flush with edge of plate. Crimp edge as desired or simply flatten slightly to an even thickness for an undecorated crust.
Refrigerate crust till firm; preheat oven:

Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes (or freeze for 10 minutes). Preheat oven to 375˚F.
Blind bake pie crust:

Line pie crust with parchment and fill with pie weights. Bake until bottom of crust is set and dry, about 30 minutes. Remove parchment and weights. Continue baking until golden, 10 to 12 minutes more. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
Cook cranberries, sugar, and juice; strain:

In a small saucepan, bring cranberries, 1/4 cup sugar, and pomegranate juice to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Boil until cranberries burst and mixture thickens to a loose jam, 7 to 9 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl, pressing on solids to extract liquid and pulp.
Mix gelatin with water; whisk yolks, milk, salt, and sugar:

In a small bowl, stir together gelatin and 2 tablespoons cold water. In another saucepan, whisk together egg yolks, milk, salt, and 1/4 cup sugar to combine. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens slightly (a thin batter consistency), 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat.
Add gelatin to egg yolk mixture, then add to cranberry mixture; cover and refrigerate:

Stir gelatin into egg yolk mixture, then stir into cranberry mixture to combine. Cover surface with plastic wrap (to prevent a skin from forming), and refrigerate until mixture is cool and begins to set along edges, about 30 minutes.
Beat egg whites; stir third into chilled filling, then fold in remaining whites:

In a bowl, beat egg whites and remaining 1/3 cup sugar to stiff peaks (do not overmix). Stir 1/3 of the meringue into the chilled cranberry mixture to lighten, then gently fold in remaining meringue just until no streaks remain and filling is a uniform color.
Spread filling over crust; refrigerate:

Transfer to baked crust, smoothing the top with an offset spatula. Refrigerate until filling is cold and set, at least 4 hours or loosely covered up to 2 days. Top with whipped cream and sparkling cranberries to serve.

Cranberry Chiffon Pie

Making Cranberry Chiffon Pie Ahead

Ingredients

Directions

Roll out pastry, fit into pie dish, and crimp:

Refrigerate crust till firm; preheat oven:

Blind bake pie crust:

Cook cranberries, sugar, and juice; strain:

Mix gelatin with water; whisk yolks, milk, salt, and sugar:

Add gelatin to egg yolk mixture, then add to cranberry mixture; cover and refrigerate:

Beat egg whites; stir third into chilled filling, then fold in remaining whites:

Spread filling over crust; refrigerate:

Other Cranberry Dessert Recipes to Try

Related Articles