This Lemon Chiffon Tart is a celebration of spring. It pairs a light and fluffy lemon filling with a crunchy and buttery pretzel pecan crust. It’s a bright, nostalgic dessert that comes together quickly and combines wonderful flavor and textural contrasts.
So What is A Chiffon Pie Anyway?
Chiffon pies originally date back to the 1920s and are credited to a baker in Los Angeles named Monroe Boston Straus, a.k.a. “The Pie King.” He was the closest thing to a “celebrity chef” in that era. His fresh approach was a celebrated departure from traditional cream pie recipes, in which a custard filling was lightened by folding in whipped cream. The chiffon pie folds whipped, sweetened egg whites into a curd and adds gelatin to stabilize and lighten it. The result is an airy, almost foamy mousse filling that melts in your mouth. Needless to say, it wasn’t too long before this baking innovation made its way into cookbooks and magazines.
About this Recipe
This recipe for this Lemon Chiffon filling belonged to my great Aunt Liz and dates back to about the 1930s. She hand wrote only her most favorite and frequently made recipes on the inner flap of her Joy of Cooking cookbook. Yet somehow this recipe didn’t make its way into the bank of family recipes. Discovering this recipe felt like a finding a lost treasure. I was so excited to try it out!
Elevating a Vintage Recipe
Aunt Liz’s original recipe was for the filling only. It simply suggested using a “9-inch pie crust.” The first time I made it, I used my favorite, blind-baked, buttery pie crust. It was delicious, but I was craving more complexity. While I wanted to honor the original recipe, I thought adding some textural elements and some salt would complement the sweet and tart lemon filing.
Reminiscent of a graham cracker crust, I created an easy pretzel pecan crust. It is moistened with brown butter and sweetened with dark brown sugar, which together contribute a rich caramel flavor that complements the malty taste of the pretzels.
I baked the crust for just about 10 minutes to set it and make it crunchy. I loved the result. It provides a wonderful balance of flavors. I think even my Aunt Liz would approve! I baked it in a a rectangular tart pan just to give it a fresh twist. But it can definitely be made into a 9-inch standard pie crust or even mini tarts.
Ingredients
- 4 Large Eggs Separated: The recipe calls for an equal balance of egg whites and egg yolks, so there is no waste.
- Granulated sugar: Sugar will be used in both the lemon yolk mixture and the whisked whites.
- Lemon Juice and Zest: The lemon juice and zest create a tangy and tart filling.
- One packet of gelatin (about 1 TBSP): This ingredient is critical to both stabilize the filling as well as to provide an airy consistency.
- Water: Used to soften the gelatin
- Salt: Even with the saltiness of the pretzels, a little added kosher salt helps to balance out the sweetness of the filling.
Step One: Cook and Thicken the Eggs, Lemon and Sugar
(1) Fill a pot about 1/3 full and turn on the heat to medium. Add the egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice and zest and stir constantly with a whisk. (2) Continue to cook and stir until mixture starts to thicken. Remove bowl from double boiler and set aside. (3) Pour gelatin into the bowl of water and let it soften for a few minutes.Add softened gelatin into warm mixture and stir until it melts. Let mixture cool.
Step Two: Beat Egg Whites and Sugar and Combine Mixtures
(4) Beat egg whites in a mixer with a whisk attachment until stiff peaks form. Add sugar and mix to incorporate. (5) Combine meringue with lemon/yolk mixture. (6) With a spatula, gently fold meringue and lemon fixture together until it is well incorporated.
Step Three: Fill Pie or Tart Shell
Fill cooled pie crust with filling. Use a small, angled metal spatula to smooth the filling. Refrigerate pie until set (at least 30 minutes). After it is set, I highly recommend taking it out of the refrigerator about 20-30 minutes before serving. Due to the gelatin, a little time out of the refrigerator before serving ensures that the filling softens and is at its creamy best!
Serve with fresh berries, whipped cream and/ or crushed pecans. Enjoy!
Lemon Chiffon Tart with Pecan Pretzel Crust
Ingredients
- ½ cup lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 4 eggs (separated)
- 1 cup + 1 TBSP granulated sugar
- 1 envelope gelatin (1 TBSP)
- ¼ cup cold water
Instructions
- Cook lemon juice, zest, egg yolks and ½ cup sugar over double boiler over medium high heat. Stir constantly with a whisk until mixture thickens.
- Dissolve 1 TBSP plain gelatin in ¼ cup water. Add to egg mixture and stir with whisk. Cool until partially set.
- While mixture is cooling, beat egg whites at high speed with whisk attachment until stiff peaks form. Add ½ cup sugar and mix for 20-30 seconds, just to incorporate.
- With a rubber spatula, gently fold whipped egg whites into lemon mixture until both mixtures are seamlessly incorporated and there are no streaks.
- Pour into a cool pie shell and chill in the refrigerator until filling is set (at least 30 minutes).
Garnish with sweetened whipped cream, berries, and/or toasted pecans.
Matriarch Muse
Liz Murray was born in 1914 in Pennsylvania. She studied home economics at Marywood College and went on to serve as the head dietician of a State Hospital for 35 years. During that time, she directed her team to cook three meals per day for 1,600 people.
Liz never married and lived in bustling Irish Catholic homestead with her mother, aunts, and her younger sister Marguerite’s family, including her six nieces and nephews. When her sister tragically died at age 47, “Aunt Liz “served as a beloved mother figure to her nieces and nephews. She was kind and generous, elegant and funny. Her cooking is the stuff of legends in our family. From Thanksgiving feasts to sweet treats, to even making her niece’s massive, scrumptious cherry walnut wedding cake, Aunt Liz remains our family’s culinary gold standard. It’s such an honor to celebrate and preserve her food legacy.
Aunt Liz
Other Liz Recipes