Recipes Desserts Pies Lemon Chiffon Pie with Saltine Cracker Crust 3.5 (4) 4 Reviews Pastry chef Kelly Field's great-aunt Jean, who first made this pie during the Great Depression, swapped pricey graham crackers in the crust for less-expensive saltines, which play well with the tart lemon filling. To create the voluminous filling, be sure to whip the egg whites to stiff peaks; if they’re too soft, the filling will be dense instead of airy. By Kelly Fields Kelly Fields James Beard Award-winning pastry chef Kelly Fields founded the wildly popular New Orleans bakery cafe Willa Jean. She has garnered national recognition for her mastery of Southern flavors. Kelly co-authored The Good Book of Southern Baking (2020), named one of the best cookbooks of the year by The New York Times, Bon Appetit, and others.Experience: Kelly Fields got her start working with renowned New Orleans chef Susan Spicer. She went on to become the pastry chef at the contemporary Creole-themed Restaurant August. After brief stints in North Carolina and California, Kelly returned to New Orleans in 2010 to become executive pastry chef for BRG. In 2015, she opened Willa Jean, named for her grandmother. Kelly's cozy Southern repertoire at the modern bakery cafe won her local and national acclaim. Garden & Gun named Kelly one of their Most Influential Women in the South. She was one of Southern Living's Five Best Kitchen Magicians of the South. Her work has also been featured in Bon Appétit, National Geographic, and Saveur, among others.Kelly's first cookbook, The Good Book of Southern Baking was named one of the year's best cookbooks by The New York Times, Book Review, Bon Appétit, the Los Angeles Times, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and Garden & Gun. In 2017, Kelly established Yes Ma'am, a foundation to inspire and support women in the hospitality industry.Education: Kelly earned a degree in Baking and Pastry from Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on November 1, 2020 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Christine Keely Active Time: 1 hrs 25 mins Total Time: 4 hrs Yield: 8 Ingredients SALTINE CRUST 8 ounces saltine crackers (2 sleeves), crushed (about 3 cups) 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 1 cup unsalted butter (8 ounces), cut into pieces, at room temperature LEMON CHIFFON FILLING 1/4 cup cold water 1 (1/4-ounce) envelope unflavored gelatin 4 large eggs, separated, at room temperature 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided 1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest plus 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (from 4 lemons) 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 cup heavy cream ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS 1/2 cup heavy cream (optional) Lemon slices, for garnish (optional) Directions Make the saltine crust Preheat oven to 350°F. Stir together crackers and sugar in a medium bowl. Add butter; knead with your hands until mixture holds together. Press into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan. Chill 15 minutes. Bake in preheated oven until lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack, about 1 hour. Make the lemon chiffon filling Stir together 1/4 cup cold water and gelatin in a small bowl; let stand until softened, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, beat egg yolks with an electric mixer on high speed until thick and lemon-colored, about 1 minute and 30 seconds. Transfer to a medium saucepan. Add 1 cup sugar, lemon zest and juice, and salt; stir until smooth. Cook mixture over low, stirring constantly using a rubber spatula and scraping down sides of pan constantly, until mixture is thickened, 5 to 8 minutes. (Do not let eggs scramble. If mixture becomes too hot, temporarily remove pan from heat, stirring constantly, until slightly cooled.) Remove from heat; add gelatin mixture, and stir until dissolved. Let cool, stirring occasionally, 1 hour. Transfer to a large bowl; set aside. Beat heavy cream with an electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 45 seconds. Set aside. Beat egg whites in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until foamy, about 20 seconds. Gradually beat in remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Increase mixer speed to high; beat until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes. Whisk about 1 cup egg white mixture into cooled lemon mixture. Add half of the remaining egg white mixture and half of the whipped cream to lemon mixture; using a spatula, fold in until almost combined. Add remaining egg white mixture and whipped cream; fold in until just combined. Spoon into crust. Chill until set, about 1 hour. If desired, beat cream with an electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 45 seconds; dollop over chilled pie. Garnish with lemon slices. Make Ahead Ungarnished pie may be loosely tented with aluminum foil and stored in refrigerator up to 3 days. Rate it Print