Lime Chiffon Pie

In the summertime, when your weekend meals will be consumed at barbecues and picnics, a light dessert is in order. Even though this is a chiffon pie with lots of cream and eggs, it has a light texture and tastes delicious. It is perfect after a few delicious burgers and franks or maybe some grilled fish.

If, like me, you hate making crusts, you can use ready-made (Keebler) graham pie crusts. This recipe will fill three small crusts or two large crusts.

For the filling:
2 packages unflavored gelatin
2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 eggs, separated
1 cup lime juice or Persian lime juice
4 teaspoons grated lime rind
3 cups heavy cream
Thinly sliced limes for garnish.

1. Mix gelatin with 1 cup sugar and the salt in a saucepan. In a bowl, thoroughly beat egg yolks with lime juice and 1/2 cup water. Stir yolk mixture into gelatin mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring just until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat, and stir in 2 teaspoons lime rind. Chill, stirring occasionally until mixture mounds lightly when dropped from a spoon, 20 to 30 minutes.
2. In a bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in remaining sugar. Fold into gelatin mixture. In separate bowl, whip 2 cups cream and fold into filling. Fill pie shells, and chill until firm (approximately four hours). Pies may be made a day ahead.
3. To serve, whip remaining cream and drop mounds on top of pies. Chill until firm. Garnish each pie with slices of lime, and sprinkle with remaining grated rind.
The pies will yield twelve to sixteen servings.

For the gingersnap crust:
3 cups crushed gingersnap cookies
2/3 cup melted unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups crushed pecans
2 teaspoons grated lime rind

To make crust, heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together gingersnaps, butter, pecans and lime rind, and pat into bottom and sides of two 9-inch pie plates. Bake for 6 minutes. Set aside.

So, gather your friends and family together, fire up the grill, enjoy the food and drink and finish if off with a slice of pie.