Raspberry Meringue Pie
A cloud of toasted meringue over a tart raspberry curd in a crisp pastry shell. This is the centrepiece dessert that gets everyone talking. Egg yolks make the curd glossy and rich, egg whites beaten into a thick Swiss meringue that piles high and toasts beautifully. Made for a special occasion and worth every step.
Prep time: 45 minutes + time to chill | Cook time: 40 minutes | Serves: 8-10 | Recipe by Chelsea Shine @chelseashinefoodcreative
Pastry
2 sheets sweet shortcrust pastry, thawed
Raspberry Curd
450g frozen raspberries
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons cornflour mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water
4 Otaika Valley Free Range Egg yolks
60g butter, cut into cubes
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Swiss Meringue
6 Otaika Valley Free Range Egg whites
1 ½ cups caster sugar
Pinch of cream of tartar
INGREDIENTS
Layer 2 pastry sheets in opposite diagonals on top of each other. On a lightly floured surface, roll out into a circle large enough to line a 22–24cm round loose-bottomed tart tin. Gently press the pastry into the tin, trim the overhanging edges neatly and prick all over with a fork. Freeze for 10 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 170°C fan bake. Line the chilled pastry shell with baking paper and fill with baking weights or raw rice. Blind bake for 10 minutes, then lift out the weights and paper and continue baking for a further 10 minutes until the base feels dry and has a light golden colour. Set aside to cool completely.
For the raspberry curd, tip the frozen raspberries and sugar into a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring now and then, until the sugar is dissolved and the fruit has completely broken down into a loose puree. Pass through a sieve, pressing with a spoon to extract as much puree as possible. Clean the saucepan before returning the raspberry puree to the pan. Stir in the lemon juice and cornflour slurry and return to medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens and turns glossy. Take off the heat and whisk in the egg yolks one at a time, followed by the butter a couple of pieces at a time until completely melted and incorporated. Leave to cool.
Pour the cooled raspberry curd into the pastry shell and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour until fully set.
For the Swiss meringue, combine the egg whites and caster sugar in a completely clean heatproof bowl. Set it over a saucepan of gently simmering water, making sure the base of the bowl doesn't touch the water. Whisk continuously until the sugar has dissolved completely and the mixture feels hot when you touch it, about 5–6 minutes. The heat pasteurises the egg whites, making them safe to eat.Take the bowl off the heat, add the cream of tartar and beat with an electric beater or cake mixer with whisk attachment until the meringue is thick, glossy and the bowl has cooled to room temperature.
Spoon the meringue generously over the set raspberry curd and go to town: swirl, peak and pile it high. If you want a more polished finish, spoon into a piping bag with a shaped tip and pipe to your heart's content. Toast with a kitchen torch until golden and lightly charred in spots. Alternatively place under an oven grill at 220°C for 1-2 minutes, watching closely.
Slice and serve immediately or store in the fridge until ready to serve.
DIRECTIONS
