Cranberry Curd Pie With Meringue Topping Recipes

CRANBERRY CURD PIE WITH MERINGUE TOPPING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven according to the pie-dough package instructions for "Baked Shell." Unroll the pie dough, fit it into a 9-inch pie plate and crimp or decorate the edges as desired. Prick the bottom and sides of the dough with a fork and bake as directed. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Separate 4 of the eggs, reserving the egg whites for the meringue. Add the egg yolks, remaining 2 whole eggs, orange zest and juice, salt, 1/3 cup of the sugar and the jellied cranberry sauce to a medium pot. Add the butter, set the pot over medium heat and cook, whisking continuously, until the butter is melted and the curd has thickened and reached a temperature of 170 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 10 minutes. Strain the mixture into a large bowl, then pour into the cooled pie crust. Bake until the curd is just starting to set but still jiggly in the center, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Let the pie cool to room temperature, about 1 hour, then refrigerate until the curd is chilled and completely set, at least 6 hours or up to overnight.
• When ready to serve, make the meringue. Beat the reserved 4 egg whites in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until frothy, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in the cream of tartar and then gradually add the remaining 1/3 cup sugar, a spoonful at a time. Whisk on medium-high speed until the meringue is glossy and holds a stiff peak when the whisk is lifted, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Dollop the meringue over the pie in an even layer. Use a kitchen torch if desired to brulee the top.

CRANBERRY CURD

Steps:

• Place cranberries in a medium saucepan. Add water and sugar and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until cranberries have burst, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Pour cranberry mixture into a food processor or blender; blend until smooth, 10 to 20 seconds. Reserve 1/3 cup and return remaining cranberry mixture to the saucepan over low heat.
• Whisk egg yolks together in a small bowl. Slowly add reserved cranberry mixture, whisking constantly. Slowly whisk egg-cranberry mixture back into the saucepan and continue whisking until thickened and the curd coats the back of a metal spoon, about 5 minutes. Add butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking until melted and fully incorporated.
• Pour into a sterile jar and allow to cool. Curd keeps in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

CRANBERRY MERINGUE PIE

Steps:

• To make the crust, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Whisk together the crumbs, butter and sugar. Scrape into a 9-inch glass pie plate and press evenly across the bottom and sides. Bake until the crust just begins to brown, 7 to 10 minutes. Set aside.
• To make the curd, put the cranberries and 1/2 cup water in a saucepan. Heat until the cranberries pop, about 5 minutes. Purée in a food processor and strain through a sieve. Return to the pan, add the butter and sugar and heat until the butter melts and sugar dissolves.
• Whisk the yolks until smooth. Very slowly whisk in the hot cranberry mixture. Return mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens a bit, about 5 minutes. (Do not allow to boil, or the eggs will scramble.) Set aside.
• To make the filling, place the cranberries, sugar and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan. Boil just until the sugar melts. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Position a rack in the top third of the oven. Have the curd and filling very hot. (Reheat the curd gently, stirring, to avoid scrambling the eggs.)
• To make the meringue, put the cornstarch and 1 tablespoon sugar in a small saucepan. Stir in 1/3 cup water. Place over medium heat and stir until the mixture boils and becomes translucent. Set aside. In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites and salt until fluffy. Slowly add remaining sugar. Reduce speed to medium and add cornstarch mixture a tablespoon at a time. Beat just until meringue is glossy and holds stiff peaks. (Do not overbeat.) Fold in the dried cranberries.
• Pour off any liquid from the filling and spread it in the pie shell. Top it with the cranberry curd. Add the meringue, covering the filling completely and making little decorative peaks. Place the pie on a baking sheet to catch any drips and bake until meringue peaks are nicely browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool before serving or refrigerating.

MERINGUE CRANBERRY PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle. Transfer to a 9-in. deep-dish pie plate; flute edge. Line unpricked crust with a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove foil; bake 5 minutes longer. Cool on a wire rack. , Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, combine the cranberries, sugar and water. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat until berries pop, about 15 minutes. In a small bowl, combine the egg yolks, flour and salt. Remove cranberry mixture from the heat; stir a small amount into egg mixture. Return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in butter and extract. Pour into crust., For meringue, in a large bowl, beat the egg whites, cream of tartar and vanilla on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, on high until stiff peaks form. Spread over hot filling, sealing edges to crust., Bake at 350° until golden brown, 18-22 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour; refrigerate for 1-2 hours before serving.