Cherry Meringue Pie
Serves 12
60 mins prep
45 mins cook
0 mins total
This is a cherry meringue pie with a creamy, tart cherry curd filling in an all butter pie crust and mile high meringue piped on like trees. It's THE pie to make for your holiday table. Tart Montmorency cherries make an incredibly flavorful sweet and tart filling that makes your mouth water. Plus it's on a crisp all butter pie crust and the Italian meringue is stable and won't collapse on you.
Pie Crust
Cherry curd
Italian Meringue
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Pie crust
Combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Add cubed frozen butter butter and work it into the dough with your fingers by flattening the cubes into the flour, working quickly. Stop once the mixture resembles peas covered in flour.
⅕ 1 all purpose flour⅕ ¼ sea salt⅕ ½ unsalted butterCombine the ice water and vinegar in a separate bowl. Add the water mixture gradually, tablespoon by tablespoon, and stir the dough mixture. Stop adding as soon as the dough starts to come together. Squish it into a disk, wrap, and let rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (can be made a day or two ahead of time).
⅕ ½ ice water⅕ 1 vinegarRoll out the crust on a floured surface to about 12 inches in diameter and transfer it into a pie plate. Tuck the edges underneath the edge to create a thicker crust, and crimp the edges with a fork or your fingers. Poke the bottom with a fork, cover with a piece of parchment paper or foil, and fill with dry beans or rice.
Place the crust on a cookie sheet and bake at 355°F (190°C) for 25 minutes. Then, carefully remove the parchment paper with the beans and bake for another 20-25 minutes until golden brown all over.
Cherry Curd
Combine frozen cherries, ¾ cup of sugar, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Simmer on low heat until it reduces by half - there should be two cups total of liquid and solids.
⅕ 4 frozen tart red cherries⅕ ¾ granulated sugar⅕ 3 lemon juiceStrain the cherry liquid through a sieve, smashing the solid bits to remove as much liquid as possible.
Whisk together ¼ cup of sugar with the cornstarch. Add two whole eggs, six egg yolks, and whisk. Gradually whisk in the hot cherry syrup.
⅕ ¼ granulated sugar⅕ 2 cornstarch⅕ 2 large eggs⅕ 6 large egg yolksPour the mixture back into the saucepan, add butter and salt, and cook until thickened - stirring with a spatula constantly to prevent lumps.
⅕ ⅓ unsalted butter⅕ ¼ sea saltPour the hot cherry mixture into the baked crust. Press cling film right onto the top of the cake to prevent a film from forming. Refrigerate until set, about 3-4 hours or overnight.
Italian Meringue
Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan. Heat on medium-low heat until simmering, then add a candy thermometer and continue simmering until it's at 235°F (115°C), soft ball stage.
⅕ 1 granulated sugar⅕ 5 waterWhile the syrup comes to temperature, add egg whites into a stand mixer or a large bowl with an electric mixer. Add the lemon juice and whip to medium- stiff peaks.
⅕ 6 large egg whites⅕ 1 lemon juiceWhile the mixer is on medium-high speed, slowly pour the syrup into the side of the bowl of egg whites. Then add the vanilla extract. Keep mixing until all of the syrup is added and the bowl is no longer hot.
⅕ 1 pure vanilla extractRemove the pie from the oven and remove the wrap on top. Use a spatula to spread out a thick two inch layer of meringue all the way to the edges of the pie.
Transfer the rest of the meringue into a piping bag with a large open star tip - or a storage bag with the edge cut off. Pipe dollops one on top of the other to make trees. Use a kitchen torch to toast the trees.
