A Blackberry Chiffon pie

You can have any number of Chiffon pies as far as I know all kinds of berry ones, toffee and chocolate. It is I am told a very American dessert that is basically a sweet pastry base filled with a mousse like filling. As it is they are in season I have chosen blackberries but you could use any thing that you want.

You will need

250g/10oz plain flour

A pinch salt

100g/3½oz butter

2 medium eggs

100g/3½oz icing sugar

1.3kg/2lb 14oz Blackberries

300g/12oz caster sugar

A dash vanilla extract

2½tbsp corn flour

10tbsp water

The juice of 1 lemon

1½ sachets powdered gelatine

100ml/3½floz double cream

First make the pastry base, this is a nice light pastry n really sweet and crisp when you bake it perfect for things like this. First sift the flour and icing sugar into a mixing bowl. Add the butter and rub it together until you get a nice breadcrumb texture. Then make a well in the centre of the flour, beat the eggs and add them a little at a time. Works from the edges bring the flour in to the egg and work it all together until you have a nice dough. Knead it to form a smooth ball, then wrap in cling film and pop it into the fridge for about 30 to 45 minutes.

While that chills make the blackberry filling, take exactly half of the Blackberries, half of the caster sugar, 2tbsp of water and put them in a pan and on a medium heat. Let the sugar melt in the berries and the juice form a dark syrup. Now add about 3tbsp of water to the corn starch, along with the vanilla, mix that together and add that the pan. Bring it to the boil and then take it off the heat and let it just cool down.

Now Pre-heat your  oven to 180c/350f roll out the pastry and line a pie tin, place some  baking parchment on top of it , fill with baking beans and blind bake for about 15 to 20 minutes. Take out the paper and the beans, then pop it back in for another 5 to 10 minutes, until light golden-brown.

Now while that is baking you can start on your chiffon topping. Add your gelatine to 5tbsp of cold water and let it soak. Take the rest of the blackberries, sugar and lemon juice and pop them in a pan and bring to the boil and let it cook for 5 minutes.  Now turn all of that in to a sieve and into the bowl with the gelatine. Use a spoon to press all the juice threw and on to the gelatine then stir this mix to make sure that the gratin has melted.

Now whip the cream until you have soft peaks then pass the blackberry juice threw a sieve and in to the cream. Fold this together. Finally take you blackberry fill and spoon that in to you pastry case then cover that with the chiffon toping. Finally put the whole thing in the fridge and let it set.  After about 30 to 50 minutes the topping will have set and the pie will be ready to eat.