Chiffons

Appears in
Professional Cooking: 10th Edition
Professional Cooking

By Wayne Gisslen

Published 2025

  • About
Chiffons are most popular as fillings for chiffon pies, but they may also be served more simply as puddings and chilled desserts.
The major difference between chiffons and bavarians is that beaten egg whites are used in place of or in addition to whipped cream. In other words, chiffons are made of a base plus gelatin plus beaten egg whites. (Some chiffons also contain whipped cream.)
Bases for chiffons include these three main types:
  1. Thickened with starch.

    The procedure is the same as for fruit pie fillings made by the cooked juice or cooked fruit method, except the fruit is finely chopped or puréed. Most fruit chiffons are made this way.

  2. Thickened with egg.

    The procedure is the same as for custard sauce or crème anglaise. Many chocolate chiffons are made this way, as is pumpkin chiffon.

  3. Thickened with egg and starch.

    The procedure is the same as for pastry cream. Lemon chiffon is usually made this way.