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A sunny orange pie from a backyard windfall

Recipe: This light dessert requires minimal stove time

Sacramento Digs Gardening
BY Kathy Morrison PUBLISHED MAR 26, 2023

Got oranges? Some of them can be juiced to flavor a bright, light pie for early spring. Kathy Morrison

One meaning of the word "windfall" refers to the orchard fruit that is knocked off the tree during a windy day or storm. That's exactly what I have received from my navel orange tree, thanks to the intense winds we've experienced recently: Oranges everywhere.

I don't need any more marmalade, and we are drinking up some of the windfall as orange juice, but I couldn't let the oranges just sit there without exploring more recipes.

Chiffon pie is a retro dessert, and there are many versions of it out there. I passed up the ones with Cool Whip and/or orange juice concentrate to land on this one, an adaptation of the lemon chiffon pie from Williams-Sonoma. It does use gelatin, which is not vegetarian, and egg yolks that are cooked into a custard. (If you're concerned about the eggs being cooked enough, see this W-S method of making eggs safe for cooking.)

Saucepan with orange filling — The filling is gently cooked over medium heat.

Note: I made a simple graham cracker crust* for this, but use your favorite baked or no-bake single pie crust.

Sunny orange chiffon pie

Serves 8

Filling adapted from Williams-Sonoma.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup cold water

1 package (2-1/4 teaspoons) unflavored gelatin

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice, about 5 medium oranges

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon or more finely grated orange zest (Note: Remember to zest the oranges before juicing)

4 egg yolks, lightly beaten

1-1/4 cups heavy cream

1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

One 9-inch prepared pie crust, such as graham cracker crumb or shortbread cookie

Instructions:

Saucepan containing filling sitting in a bowl of ice water — If needed, a towel can anchor the pan in the ice bath.

In a large bowl place at least a dozen ice cubes and then add cold water to fill the bowl half-way. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, pour the 1/4 cup cold water, then sprinkle the gelatin over it. Allow the mixture to soften for 5 to 10 minutes, then stir in the granulated sugar, salt, orange juice, lemon juice, orange zest and the egg yolks. Set the pan over medium heat and stir continuously, 6 to 8 minutes, until the mixture thickens and the gelatin dissolves. Important: Don't allow the mixture to boil.

Remove the pan from the heat and place it in the ice bath to chill. (If the pan floats and is in danger of tipping, anchor it in the bowl with a dish towel or two -- see photo.) Chill until the mixture is cold to the touch. It will thicken as it cools.

Whip the heavy cream with the confectioner's sugar in a large bowl until it forms soft mounds. Fold in the orange/gelatin mixture until thoroughly combined, then spread the filling into the prepared pie crust.

(Note: If the orange mixture has jelled too solidly to mix in easily with a spatula, loosen it first by whisking briskly. The combined mixture also can be blended together using the low speed of an electric mixer.)

Chill at least 3 hours, then remove from refrigerator about 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with orange slice twists and more whipped cream, if desired, and serve.

A partial view of the filled crust with orange slice twists nearby — Chill the pie, then add garnishes as desired.

* Graham cracker crust: Pulverize or crush 1 sleeve (8 full-size) graham crackers into fine crumbs, or use 1-1/4 cups prepared crumbs. Stir in 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon of orange zest (optional) and 5 tablespoons melted butter. Press evenly into a 9-inch pie pan, and bake at 375 degrees for 5 to 7 minutes, until crust is firm. Allow to cool before filling.

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RECIPE

A recipe for preparing delicious meals from the bounty of the garden.

Keywords:

Sacramento gardening recipe recipes oranges spring sunshine backyard produce citrus trees produce management desserts cooking

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Flowers in My Back Yard Series

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Garden checklist for week of Aug. 2

Get out early in the morning and monitor your garden’s moisture needs. Deep water and add temporary shade structures for plants that are feeling a little burned. In particular, protect developing peppers and eggplant.

* Put off fertilization until this heat passes; plants need to concentrate on hydration instead of growth.

* Harvest tomatoes, beans, squash, pepper and eggplants to prompt plants to keep producing. Give your plants a deep watering twice a week, more if planted in containers.

* Watch out for caterpillars and hornworms in the vegetable garden. They can strip a plant bare in one day. Pick them off plants by hand in early morning or late afternoon.

* Mulch can be your garden’s best friend – it conserves moisture while blocking out weeds. But don’t let mulch mound around stalks, stems or trunks. That can promote rot.

* Pinch off dead flowers from perennials and annuals to lengthen their summer bloom.

* Pick up after your fruit trees. Clean up debris and dropped fruit; this cuts down on insects and prevents the spread of brown rot.

* Prepare for a fall full of flowers by paying a little extra attention to your garden. Cut off spent blooms from roses, annuals and perennials. Roses will rebloom about six to eight weeks after deadheading.

* Indoors, start seedlings for fall vegetable planting, including bunching onion, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, radicchio and lettuce.

* Sow seeds of perennials in pots for fall planting including yarrow, coneflower and salvia.

* In the garden, direct seed beets, carrots, leaf lettuce and turnips. Make sure to keep seeds and seedlings consistently moist.

* Plant potatoes.

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