My Mum gave me some more gooseberries and I was trying to think what I could do with them that was a little bit different. I had some shortcrust pastry in the fridge so I decided on this recipe.
When we went to Walt Disney World in Florida two years ago we had a meal with Snow White and the seven dwarfs.
For dessert we had Fairytale Gooseberry Pie so this recipe is loosely based on that dessert.
My version is a delicious thin pastry case filled with gooseberries and topped with crispy meringue.
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Start by making the pastry. Put the flour, sugar and butter into a food processor and pulse until you have fine breadcrumbs. Alternatively rub the butter into the flour and sugar by hand until you have fine breadcrumbs.
Add the egg and combine in the food processor or by hand until the pastry forms a ball.
Wrap in cling film or similar and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Roll out the pastry, line the 23 cm round tart tin and trim off the edges.
Prick the base with a fork and chill again for 30 minutes.
Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees centigrade (180 fan) or Gas mark 6.
Bake blind for 15 minutes - this is to bake the pastry without the filling. Scrunch up some baking parchment just slightly bigger than the tart tin then put baking beans or rice on top to stop the pastry rising.
After baking remove the parchment and beans and bake again for 5-7 minutes until lightly golden brown.
Next to make the filling put the gooseberries, water and sugar into a medium sized pan. On a medium heat stir until the sugar is dissolved and the gooseberries are soft.
Put the gooseberries, remaining half of the juice and cornflour mix back in the back and bring to the boil and let it thicken.
Put the mixture into the pastry tart and level and set aside to cool while you make the meringue.
Finally to make the topping put the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer and whip until you have soft peaks.
Then add the caster sugar 1 teaspoon at a time until you have stiff glossy meringue. It should hold its peaks.
Place meringue into a piping bag or smooth on with a spatula and make peaks by pulling up the spatula all over the top.
Bake for 25 minutes.
Gooseberry Meringue Pie
Sarah's servings: 12
Sarah's skill: Medium
Baking time: 45 -47 minutes
Ingredients:
PASTRY
200g Plain flour
45g Icing sugar
100g Cold cubed unsalted butter
1 Large egg
FILLING
2 Tbsp Water
300g Topped & tailed Gooseberries
75g Golden caster sugar
3 Tbsp Cornflour
3 Large egg yolks
TOPPING
3 Large egg whites
175g Caster sugar
Method:
Pastry- Put the flour, sugar and butter into a food processor and pulse until you have fine breadcrumbs. Alternatively rub the butter into the flour and sugar by hand until you have fine breadcrumbs.
Add the egg and combine in the food processor or by hand until the pastry forms a ball.
Wrap in cling film or similar and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Roll out the pastry, line the 23cm round tart tin and trim off the edges. Prick the base with a fork and chill again for 30 minutes.
Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees centigrade (180 fan) or Gas mark 6.
Bake blind for 15 minutes then remove parchment and beans and bake again for 5-7 minutes until lightly golden brown.
Filling- Put the gooseberries, water and sugar into a medium sized pan. On a medium heat stir until the sugar is dissolved and the gooseberries are soft.
Drain the juice with a sieve.
Mix half the juice with the cornflour to form a smooth paste.
Put the gooseberries, remaining half of the juice and cornflour mix back in the back and bring to the boil and let it thicken.
Take off the heat for 5 minutes then beat in the egg yolks.
Put the mixture into the pastry tart and level and set aside to cool while you make the meringue.
Topping- Put the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer and whip until you have soft peaks.
Then add the caster sugar 1 teaspoon at a time until you have stiff glossy meringue. It should hold its peaks.
Place meringue into a piping bag or smooth on with a spatula and make peaks by pulling up the spatula all over the top.
Bake for 25 minutes.
Sarah’s extra slice…….
I used a Wilton 1M Piping nozzle but you can smooth the meringue in the top then lifting a knife upwards make peaks all over the top.
To top and tail the gooseberries take a small sharp knife and cut off both ends of the gooseberries or you can nip them off with your fingers.
I used a 23cm round Silverwood loose bottomed tart tin.