9 March 2011

Kalamansi Meringue Pie


I am lucky to have a kalamansi (or Calamansi or kumquat) tree.  It's hard to find kalamansi in stores. It's also rare to find in Asian groceries.  I've had the tree for about 10 years.  I guess I decided to get one because my parents have a few and my brother has one too.  It has always been a belief that having a round fruit tree in your front garden gives your household good luck.  It doesn't hurt to give it a try, doesn't it?


My little tree is probably about 5 feet tall but it fruits aplenty. I hope this translate to a lot of good luck for me.  I have juiced the fruit that I harvested and froze it for future use.  I am sure I will conjure up different ways on what to do with all that fruit.

With my first batch that I harvested, I decided to make a kalamansi curd.  But what to do with the curd?  Obviously, kalamansi meringue pie!  A Filipino twist to a classic English dessert.  Definitely a winner in my household.

Crust:
2 1/4 cups plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
220g chilled unsalted butter, cubed
4-6 tbs ice water

Curd Filling:
1/2 cup kalamansi juice
100g butter
1/2 cup caster sugar
3 egg yolks plus 1 egg

Meringue:
2 egg whites
100g caster sugar

1. Make the crust.  Sift the flour, salt and baking powder into the food processor bowl.  Add the butter and pulse till it resembles bread crumbs.  Drizzle 4 tablespoons of the ice water and keep pulsing until the dough forms a ball.  You may need to add a little more water but do it only half a tablespoon at a time. Roll out and transfer to a tart tin with a removable bottom and trim the edges.  Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.  After resting,  prick the bottom of the pastry with a fork and cover with a baking paper with weights.  Place in a preheated oven 170degC for 15 minutes.  Remove the baking paper and weights and cook for a further 8-10 minutes until golden brown.  Remove and let cool on a rack.

2.  Make the filling.  In a saucepan, over medium-low heat, place the kalamansi juice and the butter.  Stir until the butter is melted.  Add the sugar and egg and egg yolks.  Whisk continuously until the mixture thickens slightly (about 5-7minutes).  Leave to cool completely before using.

3.  Make the meringue.  In a bowl of an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until foamy. Gradually add the sugar a spoonful at a time until stiff and glossy.

4.  To assemble.  Pour the kalamansi curd into the pastry making sure it's spread evenly then cover with the meringue.  Bake in a hot oven (200degC) for 7-10 minutes until the meringue has browned a little.  Refrigerate for half a hour before serving.



Bon Appetite,
Cherrie

14 comments:

/* */ Unknown said...

it's gorgeous!!! Bet it taste fantastic.
Hmmm I wonder how you start growing them? Thru seed?

/* */ penny aka jeroxie said...

I want to grow it as well? Where did you get it from? Can it be grafted?

/* */ Hannah said...

Looks fabulous! I adore desserts that offset tanginess with sweetness. Might have to raid my grandma's cumquat tree (that's the same thing, right?)

/* */ Unknown said...

I totally adore this recipe. I wish I had fresh kalamansi available.

/* */ SKIP TO MALOU said...

when i saw your posting on FB and read :"kalamansi Meringue Pie" wow it was a must clici-on-the site moment right away.
I could taste the kalamansi flavor and with merigue??? mmm good!

/* */ Just Cake Girl said...

Looks amazing :)

/* */ Celeste @ Berrytravels said...

I love kalamansi! But not sure where to get the tree from in Melbourne... must go hunting through the nurseries!

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Anonymous said...

The meringue and kalamansi combination sounds like an absolute winner!

/* */ Kim said...

Opps, that last comment was me. Fat finger syndrom..

/* */ Adrian (Food Rehab) said...

I get all my Calamansi from my mum's garden. She has an enormous one abundant with Calamansi. I don't know what she fertilizes it with but it's working.

BTW- this looks so good. Any leftovers?

Nice seeing you at the sbs festival

/* */ Sheena said...

The meringue on top looks perfect! I've never heard of kalamansi - is it similar to mandarins and oranges, but more tart? I love all forms of citrus meringue pies, I'm sure this tasted wonderful.

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Anonymous said...

That is the best idea I have seen for using up kumquats!

/* */ chef_d said...

This looks so delicious!

/* */ Jun Belen said...

Lovely pie, Cherrie. Now, I can't wait for our calamnsi fruits to get bigger. We bought a tree last October and it's doing well despite the cooler weather here in San Francisco. It has plenty of fruits but they're not big enough to harvest. Crossing my fingers it'll get warmer here in the city soon! Thank you for sharing!

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