Raspberry Meringue Pie

I love raspberries. They are close to the top of the list for my all time favourite berry, probably only edged out by partridgeberry. The sweet tangy taste makes them one of my go-to berries for desserts frequently.

This pie is a twist on the classic lemon meringue pie and is made in the exact same way. I simply substitute the lemon juice for raspberry juice, and viola, an instant twist hit of a classic dessert.

Its much easier to make than most people realize, and doesn’t have too many ingredients.

To get the raspberry juice, I used some frozen raspberries I had, and simply simmered them out with some water, with it being about 2 cups of frozen berries with 1 cup of water. I passed this through a fine mesh sieve once the berries had completely broken down and I had a nice juice. Set to the side.

Sift together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. I did this right in the pot I was going to cook in simply to avoid having extra dishes to wash. Next, slowly whisk in the raspberry juice and make sure that everything is well mixed. If your juice was warm, like mine was, you will want to add your butter next. This is a great way to make sure that the mixture is not too hot for the egg yolks, since butter melts at very low temperatures. You can then add your egg yolks, and again, combine well. Finally, you will need to add the boiling water, and make sure that you are constantly whisking as you do this.

With that done, place it over medium-high heat, and bring to a boil. I recommend constantly stirring to avoid it burning on the bottom. Once it has come to a boil, reduce the heat and keep stirring until the curd is set and you have a nice thick liquid. This whole process should take around 10-12 minutes

Take the curd and pour it into a pre-made pie crust. I have a great recipe for a no-fail pie crust, and you really should use a mealy crust for this. Set to the side and move onto your meringue, which uses the 4 egg whites from the eggs you previously separated, and 60g or 1/4 cup of sugar. Its best to use a wide bowl and to have your egg whites at room temperature.

Begin by whipping your egg whites and keep going until you reach the soft peak stage. This means that you should get peaks that form when you pull the beaters out, but that they tip over. At this point, you can slowly add your sugar while continue to beat until you have reached the stiff peak stage. At this point, the meringue should look glossy and be able to hold its peak. Take care not to beat too long, or you can end up with a dry and stringy meringue.

Add to the top of your pie, and spread. Its important to ensure that you get your meringue right to the edge of the crust, otherwise it has a tendency to shrink while browning. Place in a 425F oven and allow the meringue to brown. I chose to do mine under the broiler, which you can do, but you must take care to ensure that it does not burn.