Watermelon Pie for the 4th

Yes it is coming, the fourth of July and summer and grilling is in full swing. I do love to grill some hamburgers and have some good tomatoes and potato salad and all the other fixings. What to do for dessert?

How about watermelon pie? I read about this pie in ‘Garden and Gun’ magazine in the June/July issue and thought what a good idea for the Fourth. This pie came about when Mims Bledsoe was working on her graduate degree in philosophy at the University of Georgia. She drove several times a week from her home in Atlanta to Athens, eight miles away and fantasized about opening a pie shop. In 2011 she opened a pie shop in the Buckhead shopping strip. For her first menu, she developed a watermelon chiffon pie. She knew chiffon pies enjoyed a surge of popularity in the 1950’s and 60’s. But the more popular they became the worst the pies.

Her version rescues the old favorite with pure whipped cream, unflavored gelatin, and fresh summer fruit at its peak

Happy Fourth of July!! And try this pie!

 

Watermelon Chiffon Pie

Makes one 10-inch pie

Ingredients

Crust

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. kosher salt

2 tbsp. sugar

¾ cups (1 ½ sticks) cold butter, cubed

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 tbsp. + 2 tsp. cold water

½ tsp. white vinegar

 

Filling

2 ¾ cups watermelon puree (from about 6 cups fresh melon)

¾ cups sugar

2 tbsp. unflavored gelatin

2 egg whites

1 cup heavy cream

 

Preparation

Crust

Combine the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Add butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add egg and pulse again. Combine water and vinegar and add to mix, pulsing until dough is just combined. Keep cold, work quickly, and do not overmix. Divide dough into two equal portions. Keep in plastic wrap. Place one in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight before rolling; freeze the other for another use.

On a floured surface, roll the dough into a 12-inch round. Drape the dough over a rolling pin to transfer to a 10-inch pan, pressing it against the bottom and sides. Trim the dough, prick the bottom and sides with a fork, and crimp the edge. Place a square sheet of parchment paper over the dough and fill with dried beans or pie weights, pressing lightly. Refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Bake piecrust for 15 minutes. Remove parchment and beans and continue baking until crust is golden, about 10 minutes more. Let crust cool completely.

 

Filling

Puree watermelon cubes in a blender, working in batches if necessary.

Combine watermelon puree and sugar in a medium saucepan and sprinkle gelatin evenly over the top. Let mixture rest for 5 minutes to allow gelatin to bloom. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking until gelatin is completely dissolves (about 3 to 5 minutes). Remove pan from heat and cool to room temperature. Strain watermelon mixture through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any pulp and return to pan, stirring occasionally to prevent mixture from setting.

Place egg whites in a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer at high speed until soft peaks form about 5 minutes). Set aside. Place cream in a separate mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until soft peaks form (about 5 to 7 minutes).

Slowly pour watermelon mixture into the whipped cream, a bit at a time, gently stirring to combine. Fold in egg whites, taking care not to overmix.

Spoon or pipe filling into the cooled shell. Refrigerate pie for 2 hours or until firm. Serve with whipped cream.