As American Thanksgiving is lower than per week away, I believed I’d put together a show-stopping dessert with this cranberry loving nation in thoughts – vegan meringue pie with cranberry! It’s incorporates a pleasant distinction of candy and bitter, it has a touch of winter spices and it’s lovely to have a look at too. It is going to actually make an impression in your visitors, I promise!
This vegan meringue pie is a festive twist on a a lot cherished traditional – lemon meringue pie (recipe right here in case you are into lemons greater than cranberries). Since cranberries are naturally extremely bitter, I figured they are going to be an ideal flavour distinction to the candy meringue that may be a should for a vegan meringue pie.
As I wished this pie to style like Thanksgiving (or Christmas), I flavoured the curd part with numerous orange zest, some orange juice, vanilla, cinnamon and ginger too. I actually love the tip end result, it’s not too overpowering, nevertheless it’s actually there. Should you wished one thing much more harking back to mulled wine, be happy so as to add cloves, a bay leaf, maybe a star anise, some crushed cardamon pods and a few all spice berries too.
As I realise that Thanksgiving is a logistically troublesome operation with so many, usually difficult, dishes needing to be ready all of sudden, this pie actually permits you to get forward so far as many of the parts are involved. The one factor I’d suggest not making forward is the meringue half. As with egg-based meringue, plant-based one additionally tends to wick moisture out of the ambiance and weep so bake it on the morning for greatest finish end result.
SHORTCUTS (to hurry issues up)
1) make the curd 1-3 days forward, refrigerate;
2) make the pastry a day forward, line the tin with it however bake on the day to maintain it as contemporary as doable;
3) as an alternative of baking the meringue till crispy, merely toast it evenly with a chef’s torch (like this) or below a broiler for just a few minutes.
MORE ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS
CRANBERRIES – I used contemporary cranberries to make the curd for this vegan meringue pie, but when that’s not accessible to you, you can additionally use frozen. 500 g (17.5 oz) of cranberries equals 4 barely heaped cups in order that’s how you know the way a lot frozen cranberries to make use of. You might additionally presumably use cranberry jelly, however because it already comprises sugar and differs between manufacturers an excessive amount of, the recipe will want some severe tweaking so except you might be good at that type of factor, hunt down contemporary or frozen cranberries for this vegan meringue pie.
ORANGES – Cranberries and oranges belong collectively so I flavoured the curd with a considerable amount of orange zest (2 oranges), though be happy to dial that down in case you want or use one lemon and one orange for a barely totally different flavour profile. I additionally used orange juice so as to add pure sweetness to the curd. You will have two navel oranges for this.
SPICES – To provide the curd a touch of festive flavours, I added some vanilla, ginger and cinnamon to the cranberries. You might go additional by including floor cloves (fishing entire cloves out is a ache), a star anise, a number of crushed inexperienced cardamom pods and maybe a number of all spice berries too. All these spices will infuse the curd with lovely festive flavour.
SUGAR – sugar is integral, not simply to style, however the construction of this dessert – each the curd and the meringue depend on sugar for its construction so please don’t be tempted to scale back except you recognize what you might be doing and settle for the danger (I don’t need to hear that it didn’t work afterwards 😉 , okay? ). Caster (also referred to as castor or superfine white) sugar is utilized in each situations and that’s the one sugar I examined with. You may get away with utilizing coarser sugar within the curd however actually I’d not suggest doing that within the meringue. Small particles imply that it may dissolve totally through the whipping course of, in any other case your meringue received’t work or can be gritty and unsightly to eat on the very least.
VEGAN BUTTER – vegan butter is used each within the pastry and within the curd and what you want right here is vegan butter that is available in a block (usually referred to as vegan block, in reality). I used Violife model. In makes the pastry good and tender and adverts richness to the curd and helps it preserve its form. You possibly can substitute with coconut oil, I at all times suggest utilizing odourless one to maintain the flavour profile coconut-free.
FLOUR – I used plain flour to make the pastry for this vegan meringue pie, however you can too make this dessert gluten-free if wanted. To try this merely use a properly balanced gluten-free flour combine and a smidge of xanthan gum to assist with binding. Slightly than rolling gluten-free pastry, I personally discover it simpler to scatter it within the tin after which mould it to the inside of the tin with my fingers.
CORNFLOUR / CORNSTARCH – cornflour (or cornstarch for the US readers) is a thickener that’s key in thickening the curd in addition to in stablising the meringue. Theoretically, you can attempt utilizing tapioca or potato starch as an alternative, however I’ve not examined with both of these so cornflour is the one one I can suggest with 100% certainty.
AQUAFABA – that’s proper, right here I am going once more with my favorite bean juice (I really like working with it as might you recognize by now). I used aquafaba from homecooked chickpeas as I at all times prepare dinner chickpeas however you can too simply open a tin or a jar of chickpeas and use the brine. Ensure all of your utensils, bowl and palms are spotlessly clear as aquafaba and grease hate one another like cats and canines (that really is just not true as exemplified by quite a few ‘my cat and my canine are BBFs’ movies however you recognize what I imply 😉 ). To banish grease, use a glass or metallic bowl and wash your whisk attachments in soapy scorching water rigorously.
XANTHAN GUM – these of you who bake gluten-free can be already aware of this ingredient because it’s one of many binders utilized in gluten-free pastry and dough. It additionally occurs to enhance the lifespan of a vegan meringue and cease it from deflating after baking so I actually suggest including it to your whipped meringue. I stored this pie in a tupperware field, out of the fridge in a single day and the meringue stored its form and didn’t weep or deflate for a whole subsequent day.
USE SCALES – pastry work wants precision so I strongly suggest utilizing scales as an alternative of measuring by quantity, which is inherently imprecise and will result in a disappointing final result. I give US measurements as individuals ask for them however they’re approximations solely and on the subject of making desserts like this one being correct is essential.
To make the curd, mix the entire curd components, apart from vegan butter, in a medium-large dimension pot. Simmer on low warmth, stirring continuously, till cranberries break up and the combination resembles jam – about 10 minutes. Take off the warmth, fish out cinnamon sticks and add vegan butter to the recent combination. Stir it into the recent combination with a spoon.
Switch the combination to a big blender and mix till clean. If making the curd forward – which is what I like to recommend – switch the combination again to the pot, cool and refrigerate till prepared. You might need to heat it up a bit earlier than you fill the pie in order that the filling is evenly distributed inside the pastry case.
Make the pastry by combining all of the components, apart from water, in a meals processor and pulsing a number of instances till the combination resembles breadcrumbs. Then trickle in chilly water whereas pulsing to moisten the dry components simply sufficient in order that they’ll type a dough. If making the pastry by hand, you might be more likely to want extra water however add it step by step in incremental quantities.
Take away the combination from the meals processor and type the pastry right into a disk, wrap in cling movie and chill for at the least 60 minutes. As soon as able to bake, roll it out on a evenly floured floor till 2-3 mm in thickness. Line a pastry tin case with rolled out pastry, ensuring it’s neatly tucked into all of the nooks and crannies
Lower off extra pastry with a pointy knife and patch up any holes with extra bits. Prick with a fork and chill once more earlier than blind-baking. Line the within of the pastry case with a big piece of crumpled baking paper and weigh it down with baking beads (dry beans or rice). Bake till now not uncooked, eradicating the paper and the beads at roughly a half approach level.
When you pile the meringue onto the pie, use a spoon to make ornamental swirls throughout. Bake the pie after which enable it to chill COMPLETELY earlier than slicing up (5 hours roughly). Utilizing an ice-pack wrapped in a kitchen towel beneath the pie helps! Alternatively, toast the meringue utilizing a chef’s torch (or put it below a broiler for just a few minutes) and reduce it up staight away. This works if as an alternative of pre-baking the filling, you chill it within the pastry case for a few hours.
- 250 g / 2 cups white all goal flour or GF plain flour combine
- 35 g / 3 tbsp icing or caster / superfine sugar
- ½ tsp effective sea salt
- 2 tsp xanthan gum (just for GF pastry)
- 120 g / 4.25 oz chilly vegan butter*
- approx. 60 ml / 4 tbsp ice chilly water
CRANBERRY CURD FILLING
- 500 g / 17.5 oz (approx. 4 cups) contemporary (or frozen) cranberries
- 225 g / heaped 1 cup caster (or any) sugar*
- 15 ml / 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 sticks of cinnamon
- 2½ cm / 1 inch ginger, peeled & sliced skinny
- pinch of effective salt
- zest of two oranges
- 240 ml / 1 cup contemporary orange juice
- 100 g / 3.5 oz (approx. ½ cup) vegan butter* – I used Violife
- 16 g / 2 tbsp cornflour / cornstarch
MERINGUE
- 180 ml / ¾ cup aquafaba (selfmade or from a can/jar of chickpeas)
- ½ tsp cream of tartar (or 1 tsp lemon juice)
- 250 g / 1¼ cup caster / superfine sugar
- 8 g / 1 tbsp cornflour / cornstarch
- ¾ tsp xantham gum (elective, however beneficial)
METHOD
PASTRY
- Place flour, sugar, salt and xanthan gum (provided that making a GF pastry) in a meals processor. Pulse to mix.
- Add chopped up vegan butter. Pulse a number of instances, till your combination seems to be like breadcrumbs.
- Slowly add iced water by means of the chute whereas pulsing the combination. If making the dough by hand, you might be more likely to want a contact extra water.
- Switch the combination onto a piece floor. Utilizing your palms, carry it collectively and type right into a disc – it ought to properly stick collectively, if it’s nonetheless too dry and crumbly trickle in 1 tsp of chilly water at a time. Deal with as little as doable and don’t knead.
- Wrap the pastry disc up in cling movie and chill within the fridge for at the least 60 minutes. Make cranberry curd when you wait.
- Take away the pastry from the fridge and roll it out on a evenly floured floor till you get a circle massive sufficient to cowl your total tart case, about 2-3 mm in thickness.
- Place the rolled-out dough over a tart case and gently line the within of it utilizing your fingers. Tuck the pastry in properly, making certain that it suits snugly into all of the nooks and crannies. Trim the surplus pastry with a pointy knife and patch any holes/or thinner bits with the cut-off extra. If making gluten-free pastry (which tends to be extra crumbly), chances are you’ll be higher off putting the crumbled pastry within the tart case and easily moulding the pastry together with your palms to the form of the tart tin.
- Pierce the underside of the pastry with a fork in a number of locations and chill the pastry lined tart case within the fridge for one more half-hour. You may as well simply depart it within the fridge in a single day if making forward
- In the meantime, preheat the oven to 180° C / 355° F (160° C / 320° F with a fan setting). Line the pastry case with a big piece of crumpled baking paper and fill with baking beads (or dry beans) for a blind bake.
- Blind bake the pastry for quarter-hour. Take away the paper and beads and bake for one more 10 minutes – till cooked and pale golden. Maintain the oven on.
CRANBERRY CURD FILLING (make a day forward for simpler meeting)
- Place the primary 7 components (as much as and together with zest) in a medium dimension pot. Add the entire orange juice aside from 2 tbsp (30 ml).
- Simmer every part gently, stirring every now and then, till cranberries break down, soften and the combination resembles a jam (about 10 minutes). Change the warmth off and add butter to the recent combination. Stir it in properly.
- Dilute cornflour / cornstarch within the orange juice you saved.
- Take away cinnamon sticks from the cranberry combination and switch the combination to a blender, add diluted cornflour / cornstarch and mix till clean.
- Fill prebaked pastry with the curd. If the sides of your pastry case are already brown, shield them with a strip of tin foil first. Bake for approx. quarter-hour at 180° C / 355° F (till there’s some floor pressure when gently poked with a finger).
MERINGUE
- Permit the stuffed pie to chill till solely a bit heat, then preheat the oven to 150° C / 300° F (130° C / 265° F with a fan setting) and begin on the meringue.
- Mix aquafaba and cream of tartar in a spotlessly clear bowl – even a hint of grease will inhibit aquafaba from reaching stiff peaks.
- Whisk on medium velocity till you attain stiff peaks (if you invert the bowl, whipped aquafaba ought to keep put). Relying in your gear, it could take round 8-10 minutes (it does for me and I’ve an outdated handheld whisk).
- This bit is tedious, however obligatory! Begin including sugar in 1 tbsp increments whipping properly (going across the bowl when you have a handheld whisk) and slowly counting to twenty after every addition. I do know, however belief me! By the point you’ve added the entire sugar, the combination shouldn’t really feel gritty – if it does, keep it up whipping a bit longer.
- As soon as all of the sugar has been added, sprinkle in cornflour and xanthan gum whereas the whisk goes. By this level you need to have a shiny, thick meringue combination that should go on the pie immediately.
ASSEMBLY
- Dot spoonfuls of the meringue on prime of the evenly heat (not scorching as it’ll make it soften) pie going across the edges first. Ensure the meringue touches the crust so {that a} seal is created. Watch out to not depart any air pockets below the meringue as these can be hole after baking. When you cowl all the pie with meringue, make ornamental swirls with the again of your spoon.
- Place the pie within the pre-heated oven and bake for 25 minutes. By the point you might be finished, the meringue ought to get a crispy, pale golden crust. You should use a chef’s torch to make it look extra dramatic if you want.
- Take away from the oven and place on a wire rack. Permit it to chill COMPLETELY. Putting an icepack wrapped up in a kitchen towel below the wire rack (preserve the pie within the tin) will velocity issues up a bit.
- Meringue pies are greatest eaten on the day, however this one stored properly for two days, sealed away in an air-tight cake field at room temperature (not within the fridge as it’ll make it weep). Avoid any supply of moisture, like steam elevating from cooking pots, for instance. Sugar within the meringue wicks moisture out of the air making meringue go mushy.
NOTES
*SUGAR: You possibly can add kind of sugar to the filling relying on how tangy you need the curd to be. I settled on 225 g / 1 heaped cup as I wished the filling actually tangy (to distinction with the uber candy vegan meringue topping). You should use any sort of sugar you need – even maple syrup, however you a lot need to skip orange juice of that’s the case.
*XANTHAN GUM: it stabilizes the meringue and helps with its construction, in case you don’t have it it’s not the tip of the world however I discover that it makes an enormous distinction to the feel and longevity of a meringue.
