Mini Pink Lemonade Meringue Pies
I was shocked, SHOCKED to discover that an internet searched yielded no results when I typed in “Pink Lemonade Meringue Pie.” How is this not a thing?? Lemon meringue pie is a thing. Pink lemonade is definitely a thing. So, why is the combination of these two things not a thing??
Well, I took matters into my own hands and made it a thing. A good thing. Possibly one of Oprah’s new favorite things. Possibly.
My mom always loved lemon meringue pie, but nobody else in the family ever did. I can probably count the number of times that she made a lemon meringue pie when I was a kid on one hand (maybe even on one finger). She always said she could never eat the whole pie herself, so she saw no point in making one, even though she loved it. Such a mom-sacrifice!
As I got older, I came to appreciate the brilliant marriage of sharp, tangy, lemon curd and subtly-sweet, vanilla meringue. It’s not my favorite pie, but I do enjoy it now!
Last Mother’s Day, I created these Lemon Meringue Pie Cookies, and I was really happy with how the lemon curd turned out. I decided to try to adapt this lemon curd into a pink lemonade curd by making a few proportion adjustments and the critical addition of maraschino cherry juice (the pink part of the pink lemonade curd). The result? Tasty! It’s like a grown-up pink lemonade.
Not too sweet, but definitely pink!
Now, the biggest downside to meringue pies, in my opinion, is the poor shelf life. In a relatively short time, the meringue can weep, the crust can get soggy, and the pie itself can just start to look sad. My workaround? Mini pies and lots of internet research for storing methods.
First, a bit on mini pies. With a solid pie crust recipe (or a go-to store-bought variety), and a standard muffin pan, you can easily make mini pie shells that help you avoid the primary pie problem of once-I-cut-a-slice-the-whole-thing-starts-to-look-like-crap. Yeah, that pie problem.
To avoid the soggy bottom thing, seal with an egg wash before baking. As an added anti-sog precaution, I also added a layer of white chocolate to serve as a barrier between the crust and the curd. Plus, adding chocolate can only ever be a good thing.
Now, the storage. Apparently, there are some things that you can do to make a meringue pie more fridge-friendly (thanks, Better Homes & Gardens!). The pie won’t last indefinitely in the fridge, but a few simple steps can turn a make-and-serve meringue pie into a make-the-day-before-and-refrigerate-overnight pie.
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Pipe the meringue onto the curd layer while it’s still hot
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Seal the meringue all the way to the crust, ensuring that you have totally sealed the curd inside a crust-meringue cacoon
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Cool baked pie before placing in an airtight container and refrigerating
Following these steps made my mini pies perfectly preparable on Sunday to bring to school on Monday. ‘Cause, let’s face it, it’s a rare breed who can wake up on a Monday morning, bake a meringue pie, and still arrive at work by 8am! 🙂
Mini Pink Lemonade Meringue Pies
YIELD: 6 mini pies
**For a full pie, double curd & meringue quantities, and bake meringue-topped pie for 20 minutes at 350.
Shells:
1 single crust (homemade or store-bought…your call!)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 ounce white chocolate, grated
Pink Lemonade Curd:
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
Zest of 2 lemons
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
2 egg yolks (keep the whites for the meringue), room temp
1/4 cup lemon juice (~ 2 large, juicy lemons)
2 tablespoons maraschino cherry juice
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temp
Vanilla Meringue:
2 egg whites, room temp [SUPER important!!!]
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup granulated sugar
Prepare the pie shells: Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and spray the 6 middle wells of a standard muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. Roll out the pie dough, and use a large circle cutter or drinking glass to cut out 6 circles of dough, ~4-5″ diameter. Press each dough circle into a greased muffin well, and use your fingers to gently press the dough into the tin, ensuring good adaptation at the base. Crimp/decorate edges as desired. Use a pastry brush to brush a very thin layer of egg over the entire surface, and prick the bottoms with a fork. Bake for 14 minutes, until edges just start to turn golden brown. Leave oven on for baking the meringue in a few minutes! Use a butter knife to carefully remove each pie shell to a wire cooling rack, and distribute the grated white chocolate between the pie shells, gently shaking into an even layer (the melted chocolate will make a barrier to prevent your pies from having soggy bottoms!). Now, make the curd!
Prepare the curd: In a medium-sized, heavy-bottom saucepan, stir together the sugar and lemon zest, and allow to perfume for 10 minutes. Use a whisk (a silicone whisk, if you’re using a non-stick pan) to whisk the cornstarch and salt into the lemon-sugar until clump-free. Whisk in the egg yolks, lemon juice, and maraschino cherry juice until smooth. Place over medium heat, and, whisking constantly, heat until thickened (you’ll see steam coming off the surface just before the mixture begins to thicken — if you’re using an electric stove, the thickening process will start very slowly but accelerate rapidly, so be careful!). Once thickened, remove from heat, whisk in butter, and transfer immediately to a glass bowl. Divide curd between the 6 pie shells. Now, make the meringue!
Prepare the meringue: In the bowl of stand mixer, whisk together the egg whites, cream of tartar, and vanilla. Use the balloon whisk attachment, to whip the mixture on low speed, until you achieve soft peaks, ~1 minute. Switch mixer to medium, and add granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Switch mixer to high, and beat for ~7 minutes, until you have achieved stiff, glossy peaks. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a star-tip, and pipe big meringue swirls onto each pie, ensuring complete, crust-to-crust curd coverage. Bake for 7-20 minutes, until meringues have browned. Return pies to wire rack to cool for 1 hour. Serve immediately, or store in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
*Pipe extra meringue onto parchment-lined baking sheets, and bake at 250 degrees for 45-60 minutes, until totally dried out. Shut off oven, prop door open (as long as you don’t have any small children or pets at home) to allow meringues to cool completely. Eat cooled meringues as is, or sandwich bottoms together with melted white or dark chocolate.
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