Light and fluffy.
Special request by Jeannie Harpole, who says, "I remember going to the Mercy Farms Pie Shop in Fort Collins in the early 80's. I LOVED it! The pottery was beautiful, the food was terrific! I always got the Strawberry Chiffon Pie..."
1 9" graham cracker crust
11 oz fresh or frozen strawberries, cored and sliced (about 1 1/2 cups mashed)
2/3 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. gelatin
2-3 drops red food color
.................
3-4 egg whites (1/2 cup)
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1/3 cup sugar
1 -2 cups heavy cream, whipped, and sweetened with 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tsp. vanilla per cup
Mash the strawberries in a 2 qt. saucepan with a hand mixer (or in the blender). Add the sugar and gelatin, stir and let stand for a couple of minutes until the gelatin is dissolved. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and allow to cool in the 'fridge until it mounds slightly (don't let it get too hard! It should be cool, but still soft).
Whip the cream to firm peaks, add the sugar and vanilla and refrigerate.
In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Add the sugar gradually and whip until the meringue forms firm peaks (don't over beat them). Fold a little of the meringue into the strawberries, then pour the strawberry mix into the rest of the meringue and fold together until well blended. Measure 1/3 cup of the whipped cream, and stir into the strawberry mixture. Pour into the graham cracker crust and allow to setup approximately 1-2 hours. Garnish with remaining whipped cream.
