Carrot Meringue Pie

From: Chef Amanda Cohen, Dirt Candy, NYC. Yield: 8 servings.

Crust:
1¾ cups graham cracker crumbs
¼ cup sugar
1 Tbsp. unbleached all-purpose flour
¼ cup butter, melted

Filling:
2 cups carrot juice
1/3 cup cornstarch
¾ cup sugar
¼ tsp. salt
8 egg yolks
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
¼ tsp. lemon zest

Meringue:
1¼ cup sugar
5 egg whites
pinch of salt
¼ tsp. cream of tartar

For crust: In a bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Add melted butter to the bowl and mix until everything is combined. Add melted butter to the bowl and mix until everything is combined. Measure out 1½ Tbsp. of dough into 12 2” ring molds Using the end of a rolling pin or a cup, press crust into the mold so that it is flat and tightly packed. Put crust into freezer for 10 minutes. Remove and bake at 350°F for 8 minutes.

For filling: In a medium saucepan, combine 1½ cups of carrot juice with cornstarch, sugar and salt. Cook on medium heat and whisk until liquid comes to a boil and thickens. Once thickened, keep whisking for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Temper mixture into a bowl containing all of the egg yolks. Put mixture with egg yolks back on the stove and whisk on low heat for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add remaining ½ cup carrot juice, lemon juice and lemon zest. Spray ring molds containing the cooked dough with nonstick cooking spray (or rub oil) on exposed sides of ring mold. Dough will cover the bottom in a layer. Ladle ¼ cup carrot curd into each mold, covering dough at the bottom. Bake at 350°F for 8 minutes.

For meringue: In a small pot, combine 1 cup of sugar and ½ cup water. Heat on medium until temperature reaches 238°F (using a candy thermometer). As it heats, add egg whites to mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Start whisking on medium. Once the bubbles start to appear, add the remaining sugar, salt and cream of tartar. Whisk on high until soft peaks form. Put the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a star pastry tip.

As soon as pies come out of the oven, sprinkle a little of the crust mixture over each pie to anchor the meringue to the curd. Pipe on the meringue and return pies to the oven for 2 minutes, or place them under the broiler for 1 minute. Let pies rest a room temperature for at least 1 hour. Remove from molds when ready to serve.