Cherry almond meringue pie
Photo by Gina Moore
SERVES 8–10
Crust
1 9-inch pie crust, store-bought or homemade
2 tablespoons ground almonds
2 tablespoons superfine sugar
Filling
½ cup sugar, divided
3 tablespoons cornstarch
¾ cup syrup from cherries
2 15-ounce cans cherries, drained (save syrup)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon almond extract
Meringue
2 large egg whites, room temperature
Pinch kosher salt
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
½ teaspoon vanilla
¼ cup superfine sugar
Crust: Preheat oven to 375 F. Lay pie crust on a clean, dry surface dusted with flour (just enough to keep crust from sticking to the surface). In a small bowl, mix ground almonds and sugar. Sprinkle mixture evenly over the crust. Use a rolling pin to press the crumb mixture lightly into the crust. Line a 9-inch pie plate with crust and crimp/flute edges. Prick the bottom of the crust all over with a fork; line with parchment or wax paper secured with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 25 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and remove the parchment paper and weights. Let cool to room temperature.
Filling: In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, combine ¼ cup sugar, cornstarch and syrup. Stir, occasionally, until mixture starts to bubble; then cook one minute longer. Add remaining sugar, cherries, butter, lemon juice and extract. Stir, remove from heat and set aside.
Meringue: In the bowl of a stand mixer with whisk attachment, add egg whites, salt, cream of tartar and vanilla. Slowly increase mixer speed to the highest setting. Beat until frothy and soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar and beat until stiff peaks form and meringue is glossy.
Assemble and bake: Pour filling into baked pie crust. Spread meringue over top of filling, sealing all the way to the crust. Bake for 15 minutes or until meringue is golden brown. Let cool on a rack for one hour. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before cutting or serving.
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Recipe tips
What if you can’t find superfine sugar? Make your own in the food processor. Pulse regular sugar for 5–6 seconds. Do not overmix or you will end up with powder. Make a few cups and store in an airtight container.
How to grind almonds. Use the food processor or mortar and pestle. Again, be careful not to overprocess. What you want are very small pieces of almonds, not almond powder.
How will you know when meringue is perfect? Scoop with a spatula and turn spatula upside down—if meringue sticks to the spatula, it is ready to be used.
Flat whisk vs. balloon whisk. When making sauces/gravies, use a flat whisk, not a balloon whisk. A flat whisk allows you to scrape into the corners of a saucepan, thereby evenly distributing all of the flour and ingredients into the sauce. A balloon whisk is used for whipping air into a finished product, like whipped cream and meringues.
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