Pear and lime meringue pie
A layer of light lime cream and caramelized pears in a crisp pastry case, topped with Italian meringue, which is browned under the grill or with a flame.
2 hours 40 min.
Average
1 tart
10 IngredientsLast modified on: February 21th 2011
For 1 tart, you will need:
- 1
1 1⁄3 cup confectioner's custard (crème pâtissière, or french pastry cream) - 2
2 tablespoons cornflour - 3
2 tablespoons caster sugar - 4
1 lime - 5
3 drops food colouring (optional) - 6
1 1⁄3 cup sweetcrust pastry (pâte sablée) - 7
1 cup italian meringue - 8
5 Pears - 9
2 tablespoons clarified butter - 10
1 lemon
Change measures:
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 2 hours 15 min.
Cooking: 25 min.
All in all: 2 hours 40 min.
If you start now, at , you will finish around : ?.Change start time
To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: .Change end time
Step by step recipe
Stage 1 - 30 min.
Make lime crème pâtissière (confectioner's custard) as for 1 1⁄3 cup confectioner's custard (crème pâtissière, or french pastry cream), but with these special proportions: 2 tablespoons caster sugar and 2 tablespoons cornflour, and infuse milk with finely chopped zest of 1 lime before boiling.
Then, when cream is cooked, beat into it juice of 1 lime, and if desired 3 drops food colouring (green).
Leave to cool covered to prevent skin forming, or whip during cooling from time to time.
Set aside your lime crème pâtissière.
Then, when cream is cooked, beat into it juice of 1 lime, and if desired 3 drops food colouring (green).
Leave to cool covered to prevent skin forming, or whip during cooling from time to time.
Set aside your lime crème pâtissière.
Stage 2 - 40 min.
Stage 3 - 20 min.
Peel 5 Pears, cut in four, discard core and sprinkle with juice of 1 lemon .
Stage 4 - 3 min.
Melt 2 tablespoons clarified butter in a frying pan, then tip in pear quarters (and lemon juice).
Stage 5 - 20 min.
On high heat, cook until they begin to brown.
Note: Clarified butter is preferable, to avoid the little black bits visible in this photograph, due to overheating ordinary butter.
Set pears aside.
Note: Clarified butter is preferable, to avoid the little black bits visible in this photograph, due to overheating ordinary butter.
Set pears aside.
Stage 6 - 20 min.
Prepare 1 cup italian meringue.
Stage 7 - 2 min.
Lighten the cream by folding 2 large spoonfuls of meringue into cold lime crème pâtissière,.
Stage 8 - 5 min.
Continue gently, by tilting the pan, until you have a light cream.
Stage 9 - 3 min.
Put a layer of this cream in the cooked pastry case.
Stage 10 - 5 min.
Arrange pears quarters on cream.
Stage 11 - 5 min.
Spread the rest of Italian meringue on top of the tart.
You can use a forcing bag as in the photograph, or a spatula and then draw patterns with a fork on the surface.
You can use a forcing bag as in the photograph, or a spatula and then draw patterns with a fork on the surface.
Stage 12
For best results, meringue should cover the whole surface of the tart.
Stage 13 - 3 min.
To finish, brown the meringue gently with a blow lamp, or by putting under the grill for just a few seconds.
Stage 14
It's ready, refrigerate until serving.
Remarks
If you want to simplify the recipe, use French meringue (with caster sugar, not cooked) instead of Italian.
Keeping: 1 or 2 days in the fridge, folded in a plastic film.
Source: Home made, this recipe is warmly dedicated to Christel.
Nutritional information
| Proteins (gr) | Carbohydrates (gr) | Fats (gr) | Energy value (in k-calories) | Energy value (in k-joules) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole recipe | 430 RDI=170 % | 2,520 RDI=240 % | 1,400 RDI=210 % | 19,840 RDI=990 % | 83,070 RDI: 990 % |
| Per 100 g | 20 RDI=8 % | 120 RDI=10 % | 70 RDI=10 % | 980 RDI=50 % | 4,090 RDI: 50 % |
How much will it cost?
- For 1 tart : 5.55 €
Change currency: 
Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
This recipe uses (among others)
Sweetcrust pastry (pâte sablée)
You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: Apple amandine tarts from Brélès, Cottage cheese tart, Citrus tart, How to roll out pastry for a tart, Plum tart "En passant par la Lorraine", ... See them all 43
Confectioner's custard (Crème pâtissière, or French pastry cream)
You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: Puits d'amour, Pains briochés aux raisins, Almond cream or frangipane, Paris-Brest, Strawberries with mint and cream, ... See them all 19
Italian Meringue
You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: Lemon Tart / Meringue Pie, Lime meringue tart, Lemon Meringue Pie Verrines, Frozen nougat, Rhubarb mousse, ... See them all 5
Cornflour
Like these other recipes: Two-stage beef chuck , Italian hot chocolate , Mint and chocolate cream, Peach and verbena feuilleté, Chocolate eclairs, ... See them all 33
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The 2 comments already posted on this recipe
I don't know exactly how to make filling with sweetened condensed milk and egg yolks, but I'm quite sure that it will not be easier or smoother, than a good old tasty French pastry cream mixed with Italian meringue.
I guess the restaurant you try, do it in that way too...