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Christmas-Spiced Orange Meringue Pie

23 Nov 2021
Home , Baking , Chefs , Sweet Treats , Christmas

2018 Great British Bake-Off contestant, Dan Beasley-Harling, has created this magnificent Christmas centre piece to ensure this year is extra special. This beautiful meringue pie really is a guaranteed Christmas showstopper, bound to make this year the one.

The pie contains a creamy orange filling spiced with cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg, topped with a layer of Italian meringue and beautiful meringue tree decorations!

Dan used his Thermapen One to create the perfect curd filling and meringue.

Temperatures

Take your sugar syrups to 120°C when making Italian meringue, to ensure it holds it shape.

Heating the curd to 82 °C will guarantee that you'll get a good set.

Sugar syrup: 120°C

Curd: 82°C

Ingredients

For the pastry base

For the orange filling

150 grams caster sugar
2 oranges, zest and juice
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
3 medium egg yolks
3 medium eggs
200 grams unsalted butter

For the meringue top

directions

Bring the dough together and knead briefly, until smooth.
Wrap in some cling film and press into a flat disc, then chill in the fridge for an hour or more.
On a well-floured surface, roll out the pastry into a large circle about 3mm thick – the thickness of a pound coin.
Lift the pastry into a loose-bottomed 9-inch flan tin and press gently into the sides. Use a sharp knife to trim off the excess, and dock the pastry with a fork. Rest and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Pre-heat the oven to 180°C / 160°C fan.
Remove the lined flan tin from the fridge, and line with a sheet of baking parchment, filling the middle with baking beans, or uncooked rice. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the weights and bake for another 10 minutes.
Leave to cool.

To make the orange curd and filling

In a large heatproof bowl, combine the sugar and orange zest. Stir well.
Add the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Juice the oranges, and add to the bowl.
Lastly, add the egg yolks and whole eggs, then mix everything together well.
Sit the bowl on a saucepan of simmering water, and stir the mixture continuously, until it thickens and reaches 82°C. This could take up for 15 minutes or even longer.
Sieve the orange mixture into a blender, removing all the zest and any pieces of cooked egg. Turn the blender on, and then add the cold butter, only a little at a time.
Pour the spiced orange curd into your prepared tart shell, then transfer to the fridge to set completely.

To make the meringue top

Meanwhile, weigh the sugar into a small saucepan and add just enough water to make the sugar wet. Place the lid on the pan and set over a medium heat.
When you can hear bubbling, remove the lid to check all the sugar has dissolved. You may swirl the pan, but do not stir!
When the syrup reaches 118°C, remove from the heat and turn the stand mixer on to a medium/high speed. In a slow and steady stream, pour the hot syrup down the inside of the bowl. Keep whisking the meringue until it is completely cool.
Take about two thirds of the meringue and spread it on top of the tart in an even layer.
Colour the reserved meringue green with gel food colouring, then place in a piping bag fitted with a medium French star tip. Pipe 12 blobs around the edge of the tart, then stack an additional 2 blobs in each to create a Christmas tree shape.
Adorn with red and gold dragées to create the look of a decorated Christmas tree!