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yuzu meringue pie slice from side

Yuzu Meringue Pie

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Give lemon meringue pie a Japanese twist with this yuzu meringue pie variation. Substitute store bought pie crust for the homemade if you wish. The meringue is cooked Swiss meringue style for a marshmallow texture and flavor.
Course Dessert
Cuisine Asian American
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Chill Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 45 minutes
Servings 1 9" pie

Equipment

  • digital food thermometer
  • electric or stand mixer
  • pie tin
  • Rolling Pin
  • pie weights OR extra granulated sugar
  • kitchen blowtorch optional

Ingredients

For Pie Crust (Makes 2)

  • 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour 300g
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt 3g
  • 1 cup cold, unsalted butter 227g
  • 3/4 cup ice cold water 177mL
  • additional flour for dusting

For Yuzu Curd Filling

  • 1 cup sugar 200g
  • 1/3 cup cornstarch 37g
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt 1.5g
  • 1 cup yuzu juice 236mL
  • 1 cup water 236mL
  • 5 egg yolks
  • 1/4 tsp orange blossom water optional

For Meringue

  • 5 egg whites
  • 1 cup sugar 200g
  • 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
  • 1/8 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

To Make Pie Crust

  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk flour and salt.
  • Cut cold butter into smaller cubes and add to the flour.
  • Either using a food processor, pastry cutter, or by hand, work the butter into the flour until you get a sandy texture and pea-size chunks of butter remain. Note: You can achieve different textures of pie crust depending on how much you work the butter into the flour, so feel free to adjust to your preferences.
  • Pour in 1/2 cup of the ice cold water and gently mix by hand. Continue adding water 1 tbsp at a time until the dough comes together in a ball. Dough should no longer be dry and crumbly but also not be sticky. Different brands of flour will absorb water differently, so you need to go by feel. You will not probably not need the full remaining 1/4 cup of water.
  • Split dough in half, wrap each half in cling wrap and place in fridge for 20 minutes to rest. You can also let it sit overnight to finish the next day. The extra pie crust can also be frozen for a different recipe.
  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
  • Dust a clean surface with flour and take out one of your chilled crusts. Roll out to a 12 inch circle, dusting with flour to keep from sticking. Note: If you are using a deeper dish pie tin, then you will need to roll out slightly larger.
  • Transfer dough to your pie tin, trimming off any excess that overhangs down the sides of the dish. Crimp the edges and poke holes in the bottom of the crust with a fork. Note: You can wrap and freeze the dough at this point to finish the recipe at a later date, if needed.
  • To blind bake the crust, cover the entire crust with aluminum foil. You can use pie weights, or, if you're like me, simply pour some granulated sugar into the foil to weigh down the crust and keep it from rising. The baked sugar gets toasted and can be reused after it's cooled down for other recipes.
  • Bake for 15 minutes. Then remove the foil and weights (remember to save the sugar, if using) and bake, uncovered, for an additional 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Set aside to cool while you make the filling.

For the Yuzu Filling

  • In a heat proof bowl, mix all ingredients for the filling except for the orange blossom water, if using. Remember to save the egg whites for making the meringue.
  • Set a small pot with about an inch of water on the stovetop and bring to a simmer.
  • Place the bowl with your yuzu mixture on top of the pot to create a double boiler (alternatively, if you have a separate double boiler, you can use that). Continuously stir the filling as it cooks, until it becomes very thick and bubbles.
  • Remove from heat and stir in the orange blossom water.
  • Transfer curd to the prepared pie crust. Cover with plastic wrap, directly touching the surface of the curd, and place in the fridge to completely cool.

For the Meringue

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer or other large mixing bowl, place egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar. Clip on a digital thermometer to your bowl.
  • Set up your double boiler again, or bring your pot of water back to a simmer.
  • Place your mixing bowl above the simmering water and cook the egg whites, stirring continuously, until you reach a temperature of 160 degrees F. This should take about 7 minutes.
  • Remove from heat and beat with an electric mixer or the whisk attachment of a stand mixer until meringue becomes light and fluffy and is no longer hot.
  • Transfer meringue to the top of your chilled pie. Smooth out the meringue to cover the surface of the filling, and use a utensil to create swoops and swirls in the meringue, if you'd like.
  • If you have one, use a kitchen blowtorch to brown the edges of the meringue.
  • Pie is ready to be served immediately but can also be stored in the fridge.

Notes

  • This recipe makes two pie crusts, so you can save one to make a different recipe at a later time. Alternatively, you can halve the pie crust recipe and make just one.
  • Feel free to use a store bought crust if you don't want to make one from scratch.
  • The acidity of the yuzu may react with some metal cookware, so use a glass bowl and silicone whisks and spatulas if you think your cookware may be reactive.
  • Bottled yuzu juice can have varying levels of tartness depending on the brand and regardless of how they are labeled. Please check by tasting your juice first; it should be about as tart as lemon juice. I used Yuzu Co brand for this recipe.
  • Cooking the egg whites in this swiss meringue method means that the meringue will not deflate and lasts much longer than an uncooked meringue, plus it's safer to eat if you're pregnant or otherwise immunocompromised.