Lilikoi Chiffon Pie Ice Cream

Mmmmm lilikoi chiffon pie at Hamura's....photo credit: BiggestMenu.com

Via my boyfriend’s insatiable appetite for ice cream, I have discovered what may be one of the best food secrets out there: Ice cream that tastes EXACTLY like lilikoi chiffon pie.  And not some locally made in Hawaii ice cream that you can’t get anywhere outside of the 50th state, no ladies and gentlemen, it’s by Haagen-Dazs.  You may think I’m crazy, but I would never joke about this.

If you’ve ever had lilikoi chiffon pie from Hamura’s Saimin or Wong’s Restaurant on Kauai you will understand why it is that I am so excited – or

My new love.

rather why anyone who doesn’t live on Kauai should be way excited.  These pies of sweet but tart, light and fluffy passion fruit goodness are coveted and I have yet to meet someone who dislikes them.  Enter Haagen-Dazs with their 5 Ingredient line of ice creams.  Not your typical lilikoi sorbet, this one is light and creamy, a perfect blend of sweet and tart, if you can believe it each bite of this ice cream (I have tested it thoroughly, much to my waistlines dismay) tastes like a slightly frozen bite of pie – i.e. perfection on a spoon.  Not to mention it seems (who really cares but still) somewhat healthier than your average ice cream seeing as though it only has 5 ingredients etc. etc. but really what are you waiting for…go buy some and see for yourself.

With the cat out of the bag I see it two ways: you can either slave over making the pie itself (recipe from the Honolulu Advertiser below) or you can just top a bowl of this ice cream with some crushed graham crackers and whipped cream and call it a day.  As much as I love the pie I am inclined to say I like the second option wayyyy better……just sayin’.

Recipe for Lilikoi Chiffon Pie via the Honolulu Advertiser:

You can use frozen passion-fruit juice (use pure passion fruit, not a blend) or fresh lilikoi juice, if you have access to the fruit. You would probably have to sweeten the juice a bit. To make guava chiffon pie, use guava juice concentrate instead.

4 eggs, separated

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup passion-fruit concentrate or fresh lilikoi juice

1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin

1/4 cup cold water

1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

9-inch one-crust pie shell

1/2 cup whipping cream

Beat egg yolks until thick. Add 1/2 cup sugar, salt and juice. In a medium saucepan, cook over low heat until thickened. Do not allow to boil; if you have an instant-read thermometer, keep temperature at about about 150 degrees. When thickened, remove from heat.

Soften gelatin in cold water; stir into egg-yolk mixture until dissolved. Add lemon rind and allow mixture to cool. Beat egg whites until stiff, gradually beating in the remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Fold egg-yolk mixture into stiffly beaten egg whites. Pour into pastry shell; chill until firm. Whip heavy cream to garnish pie. Makes 8 servings.

Per serving: 300 calories, 13 g fat, 6 g saturated fat, 125 mg cholesterol, 280 mg sodium, 41 g carbohydrate, 0 fiber, 33 g sugar, 5 g protein