Blackberry & Lime Meringue Pie

I recently made this pie for a dinner party and it was a success. Although I must admit it is time consuming but is well worth it!! This pie would be a great addition to Thanksgiving Dinner. 

Special Cooking Items

Pie Weights (Can use dry beans as a replacement)

Pie Pan ( I like the ones that have removable bottoms)

Ingredients

Pie Crust

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 sticks chilled unsalted butter, cut into slices

1/4 cup vegetable shortening

1 tablespoon plus 1 tsp. sugar

1 tablespoon kosher salt

Lime Curd

1 cup fresh lime juice

3 large eggs

3 large egg yolks

3/4 cup sugar

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 teaspoon unflavored gelatin

3/4 cup chilled heavy cream

Blackberry Compote

1 cup fruity red wine, such as Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon

1/2 cup sugar

3 cups blackberries

Meringue 

3 large egg whites, room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons corn syrup

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup blackberries 

Preparation 
Pie Crust- Process flour, butter, vegetable shortening, sugar, and salt in a food processor until butter resembles tiny pebbles, about 25 seconds. Transfer to a large bowl. Gradually add 3/4 cup ice water, using a fork to stir until dough is a mixture of clumpy wet pieces and sandier pieces, adding more water by tablespoonfuls if dry. Press plastic wrap over surface of dough. Chill in the bowl at least 1 hour or over night.

Divide dough in half. Flatten each half into a disk. On a lightly  floured surface, roll out 1 disk into a 13"-14" round. Roll over rolling pin and transfer to the pie dish. Pick up the edges and

allow dough to slump inside the dish. Fold overhang under and crimp edges. Chill at least 1 hour or overnight.

Preheat oven to 375°. Prick chilled crust in pie dish all over with a fork. Line crust with parchment paper. Fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake 25 minutes. Remove from oven; lift out paper and weights. Reduce temperature to 350°. Return to oven and bake, using fork to prick any bubbles that have formed and pressing down on them with back of fork, until crust is light golden brown, 20-25 minutes longer. Let crust cool completely.

Lime Curd- Set a strainer over a medium bowl; set aside. Stir lime juice, eggs, egg yolks, and sugar together in another medium bowl. Set bowl over a large saucepan of gently simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water). Whisk until mixture has thickened, the whisk leaves a path when lifted from curd, and an instant-read thermometer registers 175°, about 15 minutes. Add butter to curd, one Tbsp. at a time, whisking to blend between additions. Strain curd into prepared bowl. Press plastic wrap directly onto surface of curd. Chill until cold, about 2 hours. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 days ahead. Refrigerate curd.


Sprinkle gelatin over 2 Tbsp. water in a small bowl; let stand until gelatin is soft, about 10 minutes. Using an electric mixer, beat cream until soft peaks form. Add gelatin mixture; continue beating cream until just before firm peaks form. Fold whipped cream into lime curd. Cover; chill.


Blackberry Compote- Bring red wine, sugar, and 1/2 cup water to a simmer in a medium saucepan over high heat; reduce heat to medium and simmer until reduced to 1/2 cup, 20-25 minutes. Let cool. Add 3 cups berries; fold gently to coat.


Spread compote in an even layer over baked crust. Spoon lime curd over berries, smooth top, and chill for 1 hour.


Meringue- Preheat oven to 450°. Place egg whites in the bowl and mix whites with a mixer until soft peaks form. Set aside. Stir sugar, corn syrup, and 1/4 cup water in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Attach a candy thermometer to side of pan. Increase heat to medium-high and boil without stirring, occasionally swirling pan and brushing down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush, until thermometer registers 238°, 6-8 minutes. Remove pan from heat.


Meanwhile, beat whites with mixer until soft peaks form. Mix in salt.


Slowly pour hot sugar syrup down side of bowl into whites and beat until meringue is firm and glossy. Continue mixing until cool, about 4 minutes. Spoon meringue over lime curd, leaving a 1" plain border, and sculpt decoratively. Tuck 1 cup berries in and around meringue.


Bake pie until meringue is toasted in spots, 3-5 minutes. Chill for 30 minutes before serving. Do Ahead: Pie can be made 3 hours ahead. Keep chilled. Enjoy!


 Recipe was derived from Bon Appetit.