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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
3 tarts
10 IngredientsLast modified on: February 21th 2011
For 3 tarts, you will need:
- 1
4 cups confectioner's custard (crème pâtissière, or french pastry cream) - 2
½ cup cornflour - 3
½ cup caster sugar - 4
3 limes - 5
9 drops food colouring (optional) - 6
4 cups sweetcrust pastry (pâte sablée) - 7
2 2⁄3 cups italian meringue - 8
15 Pears - 9
½ cup clarified butter - 10
3 lemons
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 4 cups confectioner's custard (crème pâtissière, or french pastry cream), but with these special proportions: ½ cup caster sugar and ½ cup cornflour, and infuse milk with finely chopped zest of 3 limes before boiling.
Then, when cream is cooked, beat into it juice of 3 limes, and if desired 9 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 3 limes, and if desired 9 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 15 Pears, cut in four, discard core and sprinkle with juice of 3 lemons .
Stage 4 - 3 min.
Melt ½ cup 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 2 2⁄3 cups 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 | 1,290 RDI=500 % | 7,550 RDI=710 % | 4,200 RDI=640 % | 59,530 RDI=2,980 % | 249,220 RDI: 2,980 % |
| Per 100 g | 20 RDI=8 % | 120 RDI=10 % | 70 RDI=10 % | 980 RDI=50 % | 4,090 RDI: 50 % |
| Per tart | 430 RDI=170 % | 2,520 RDI=240 % | 1,400 RDI=210 % | 19,840 RDI=990 % | 83,070 RDI: 990 % |
How much will it cost?
- For 3 tarts : 16.65 €
- Per 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)
Confectioner's custard (Crème pâtissière, or French pastry cream)
You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: Strawberries with mint and cream, Pear verbena tarts, Millefeuille, Pistachio cream, Yvetot Douillons, ... See them all 19
Sweetcrust pastry (pâte sablée)
You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: Apple custard tart, Tarte Bourdaloue, Parisian-style chocolate custard tart, Apple-almond shortbread tart, Rhubarb-hazelnut tart, ... See them all 43
Italian Meringue
You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: Lime meringue tart, Lemon Meringue Pie Verrines, Frozen nougat, Rhubarb mousse, Lemon Tart / Meringue Pie, ... See them all 5
Cornflour
Like these other recipes: Chocolate eclairs, Paris flan filling, Apple custard tart, Caramelized pear custard tart, Rich hazelnut buttercream, ... 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...