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Prep Time: 60 Minutes Cook Time: 300 Minutes |
Ready In: 360 Minutes Servings: 8 |
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This smooth and creamy chiffon pie is utterly dependent on the fruit; be choosy and select only perfectly ripe, aromatic nectarines to produce the ambrosial flavor you're after. Ingredients:
pastry dough for a single-crust pie |
1 1/4 lb ripe nectarines (3 large) |
4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice |
3/4 teaspoon pure almond extract |
3/4 cup sugar |
1 envelope unflavored gelatin (1/4 oz) |
1/2 cup water |
4 teaspoons pasteurized egg white powder such as just whites |
2/3 cup chilled heavy cream |
garnish: sliced nectarines |
Directions:
1. Make pie shell: Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Roll out dough into a 13-inch round on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin. Fit into a 9-inch (4-cup) pie plate. Trim excess dough, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang, then fold overhang under pastry and press against rim of pie plate to reinforce edge. Decoratively crimp edge and chill shell until firm, about 30 minutes.
3. Lightly prick bottom and side of pie shell all over with a fork. Line shell with foil and fill with pie weights. Bake shell until edges begin to turn pale golden, about 15 minutes, then carefully remove foil and weights and bake until shell is golden, about 15 minutes more. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.
4. Make filling: Halve, pit, and quarter nectarines, then purée with lemon juice, almond extract, a pinch of salt, and 1/2 cup sugar in a food processor until smooth. Force purée through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and discard any solids.
5. Sprinkle gelatin over 1/4 cup water in a 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan and let stand 1 minute. Add nectarine purée and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, just until gelatin is dissolved, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer mixture to a metal bowl and set bowl in a larger bowl half-filled with ice and cold water, then chill, stirring occasionally, until mixture starts to mound in spoon, 10 to 15 minutes.
6. While fruit mixture chills, beat together egg white powder and remaining 1/4 cup water in a bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until soft peaks form. Add remaining 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until whites hold stiff peaks. Beat cream in another bowl with cleaned beaters at medium speed just until soft peaks form. Fold whipped cream into fruit mixture, then fold in one third of meringue to lighten. Fold in remaining meringue gently but thoroughly. Spoon into cooled shell and chill until set, at least 3 hours.
7. Cooks' notes: · Pie can be chilled, covered, up to 1 day ahead. · Do not use liquid pasteurized eggs, as they will not whip properly into meringue.
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