My Raspberry Cream Pie

Light as a cloud and bursting with raspberries, this cream pie skips the usual graham base for something better: a toasted pecan and cinnamon crust that’s naturally grain-free and tastes like candied nuts.

The filling is a chiffon-style trick. Gelatin gets bloomed and dissolved with a little sugar and bright lemon juice, then fresh raspberries stir in and the mixture sits until it thickens to a loose set.

Timing is everything here. Fold the raspberry mixture into stiffly whipped cream while it’s syrupy but not yet firm, and you get a filling that’s airy and mousse-like rather than rubbery.

A few hours in the fridge sets it into clean, cool slices. It leans easily lighter on sugar too, since the recipe is built to take a sugar substitute.

Chef Tips

• Let the raspberry-gelatin mixture thicken to the texture of unbeaten egg white before folding. Too warm and it deflates the cream; too set and it folds in lumpy.
• Whip the cream to stiff peaks first so it has the structure to hold the fruit without weeping.
• Fold gently with a spatula, not a whisk, to keep all that whipped-in air intact.
• Cool the pecan crust completely before filling, or a warm crust will melt the cream.

Variations

• Swap raspberries for strawberries, blackberries, or a mixed berry blend.
• Use a graham or shortbread crust if you’d rather skip the nuts.