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
300 g confectioner's custard (crème pâtissière, or french pastry cream) - 2
30 g cornflour - 3
30 g caster sugar - 4
1 lime - 5
3 drops food colouring (optional) - 6
300 g sweetcrust pastry (pâte sablée) - 7
200 g italian meringue - 8
5 Pears - 9
30 g clarified butter - 10
1 lemon - Total weight: 2,030 grams
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 300 g confectioner's custard (crème pâtissière, or french pastry cream), but with these special proportions: 30 g caster sugar and 30 g 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 30 g 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 200 g 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=120 % | 2,520 RDI=180 % | 1,400 RDI=160 % | 19,840 RDI=740 % | 83,070 RDI: 740 % |
| Per 100 g | 20 RDI=6 % | 120 RDI=9 % | 70 RDI=8 % | 980 RDI=40 % | 4,090 RDI: 40 % |
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)
Confectioner's custard (Crème pâtissière, or French pastry cream)
You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: Strawberry tart, Pear and chocolate tart with a hint of mint, St Tropez tart, Raisin breads (pains aux raisins), Diplomat cream, ... See them all 19
Sweetcrust pastry (pâte sablée)
You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: Bounty-style tart for Alison, Flaked almond tart, Cottage cheese tart, Key Lime Pie for Jeremy, Tarte Bourdaloue, ... See them all 43
Italian Meringue
You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: Lime meringue tart, Rhubarb mousse, Frozen nougat, Lemon Meringue Pie Verrines, Lemon Tart / Meringue Pie, ... See them all 5
Caster sugar
Like these other recipes: Old style brioche, Agen prune cake, Apple Batter Puddings, Mascarpone fondant with two lemons, Cranachan, ... See them all 361
Other recipes you may also like
Rice pudding (riz au lait)
My personal version of this classic family recipe. December 18th 2018406 K5 40 min.
4 pears salad with vanilla
It's a very easy recipe, everything depends on the choice of differents kinds of pears all fully ripe, to give a delicious contrast in the mouth. February 21th 2011235 K4.2 40 min.
Macarons (the original French macaroons)
This recipe really is "of the moment": the success of these small, highly-coloured cakes, in an infinite variety of flavours, is impressive. It's a recipe which needs some care, in order to produce a result worthy of a professional pastrychef. No problem, I will guide you through the recipe, particularly the tricky parts. This variety of flavours means that I test many alternatives, so don't be surprised if in the pictures the colour of the macarons changes, I used the best photograph available... October 3rd 20191.60 M 714.6 2 hours 40 min.
Confectioner's custard (Crème pâtissière, or French pastry cream)
Quite similar to crème anglaise but much thicker. It is used in many pastries like choux pastry (pâte à choux) or millefeuille. January 27th 2017768 K 313.7 40 min.
Chocolate sauce
This rich smooth chocolate sauce, with its full flavour, is one of the indispensable ingredients of profiteroles, but it can be used with many others desserts. February 21th 2011314 K 24 35 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2025-08-31)
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Follow this recipe
If you are interested in this recipe, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the recipe is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.
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...