Lime Blackberry Meringue Pie

Lime Blackberry Meringue Pie

Dena and her daughter Elizabeth just moved back to the Midwest and I am so excited they live in Wisconsin now.  Recently Elizabeth went to Beijing and Seoul.   After her trip we had a welcome home party for her.  During the party Elizabeth shared some of her special Jasmine tea and we had our own tea ceremony.  Before every sip we announced our blessings, wishes and dreams to toast the wonder that the future has to offer each of us.  Elizabeth also shared with us the highlights of her trip including learning how to write and paint words in Chinese.  Some of Elizabeth's favorite foods include Steaks and citrus desserts.  In honor of Elizabeth we cooked up all of her favorites.  For dessert I made this Lime Blackberry Meringue Pie, inspired by this months issue of Bon Appetit.  Since Elizabeth has a dairy allergy I adapted the original recipe and used a dairy free light margarine.  It was amazingly delicious.  Elizabeth told her Mom that she loved it, and that made my heart sing. 

I love the tart sweetness of citrus curd.  It is refreshing in a pie, tart or as a layer in a cake. 

Lime Curd

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 Cup Fresh Lime Juice strained (about 12 limes)
• 1 Cup or 2 sticks butter (I used a dairy free light margarine due to a special guest with an allergy)
• 2 Tablespoons Lime Zest
• 6 Egg Yolks
• 4 Eggs
• 1 3/4 Cup Sugar

Directions:

• Stir lime juice, butter and lemon zest in large saucepan over medium heat until butter melts
• In a separate bowl, whisk egg yokes, eggs and sugar until well blended
• Gradually whisk in hot lime mixture
• Return mixture to same saucepan and whisk over medium heat until thick and smooth (15 minutes until reaches 175 degrees).  Do not boil. 
• Strain curd with fine mesh strainer to remove zest so that you have a very smooth curd 
• Transfer to bowl, cover surface with plastic wrap, to prevent curd from forming a skin. 
• Refrigerate several hours or overnight

Blackberry Sauce

This Blackberry sauce has made a few appearances on this blog, that is a true testament to the versatility and deliciousness that this sauce brings to any dish.

Blackberry Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 1/8 Cup or 12 ounces of seedless Blackberry Jam
• 1/4 Cup Creme de Cassis or Pomegranate Juice
• 4 1/2 Cups Fresh Blackberries

Directions:

• Whisk jam in saucepan over medium low heat until melted and smooth
• Whisk in Cassis or Pomegranate Juice
• Transfer to large bowl
• Add berries and toss to coat
• Chill until cold, 2-8 hours

Meringue

Meringue is so yummy and I enjoy the light sweet creamy texture it offers.  I remember the first time I had meringue.  My Godmother, Heidi, brought me to her Grandpa Doyles farm when I was a little girl.  Heidi's grandparents were known for their Lemon Meringue pie and I can understand why....35+years later I still remember that hot summer day, sitting in their farmhouse south of Farmington and enjoying both the best pie ever and the company of my lovely Godmother and her grandparents. 



Meringue

Ingredients:

• 3 large egg whites, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons corn syrup
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions:

• If toasting meringue in oven, preheat oven to 450°.  I used a kitchen torch.
• Beat whites in mixer until soft peaks form. Set aside.
• Stir sugar, corn syrup, and 1/4 cup water in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves.
• Increase heat to medium-high and boil without stirring, occasionally swirling pan and brushing down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush, until thermometer registers 238°, 6-8 minutes. Remove pan from heat.
• Meanwhile, beat whites in mixer until soft peaks form. Beat in salt.
• Slowly pour hot sugar syrup down side of bowl into whites and beat until meringue is firm and glossy.
• Continue beating until cool, about 4 minutes.



Baked Pie Crust (dairy free)

My Aunt Judy once taught me that vinegar helps to make a pie crust light and flaky.  Trusting her tip, I never forgot it.  It only takes a bit of vinegar, you won't taste it, but when someone tells you how flaky the crust is you'll know the secret is the vinegar...not the butter as some might claim.

Pie Crust (Dairy Free)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup vegetable shortening
• 1/2 cup ice water
• 1 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar

Directions:

• Combine flour and salt in bowl
• Cut in chilled shortening into flour and salt mixture until coarse crumbs form, don't over mix
• Stir in ice water (ice removed) and vinegar and mix until it forms a ball, dough will be sticky
• Wrap dough in plastic wrap and pat into flat circle and chill 4 hours or overnight
• Roll out dough on floured surface
• Line pie plate with pie crust and prick with a fork
• Chill pie crust in freezer or fridge for 1 hour
• Line pie crust with foil and fill with ceramic pie weights or dried beans
• Bake crust for 20 minutes in 350 oven, remove foil and pie weights and  bake another 12-17 minutes until crust is golden brown.
• Cool crust

To assemble pie

• Spoon curd over crust
• Spoon Blackberry's over curd
• Spoon Meringue over curd and blackberry, allowing curd and blackberries to peak around the edge
• Toast Meringue
• Enjoy

Tea Ceremony