Recipes, re-invented from cooking shows
Rhubarb & Blackberry Meringue Pies
Prep. Time:
Baking Time:
Total Time:
1 hour (plus chilling)
45–50 minutes
About 3 hours (including chilling)
Serves:
12 mini pies
Iain R created this dish for Great British Bake Off ™ Series 16. Prue Leith called this complex bake absolutely beautiful and praised how every element came together, while Paul Hollywood admired the perfectly baked pâte sucrée and the tartness playing against the almond frangipane. This Fix-It pres...
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Ingredients
FOR THE PÂTE SUCRÉE:
Unsalted butter, cold — 125g (9 tbsp), cubed
All-purpose flour — 225g (1¾ cups)
Fine salt — 1g (¼ tsp)
Icing (powdered) sugar — 60g (½ cup)
Egg yolks — 2
Cold water — 5–10ml (1–2 tsp), to bring together
FOR THE ROASTED RHUBARB:
Rhubarb (forced/pink if possible) — 400g (14 oz), cut in 2.5cm/1-in batons
Granulated sugar — 50g (¼ cup)
Orange zest — from ½ orange
Grenadine (optional) — 5ml (1 tsp), or a little grated ginger
FOR THE ALMOND FRANGIPANE:
Unsalted butter, soft — 100g (7 tbsp)
Caster (superfine) sugar — 100g (½ cup)
Large egg — 1
Ground almonds — 100g (1 cup)
All-purpose flour — 10g (1 tbsp)
Almond extract — 1ml (¼ tsp), reduced so the rhubarb leads
Reduced rhubarb syrup — 15ml (1 tbsp), from the roasting
FOR ASSEMBLY & TOPPING:
Fresh blackberries — 125g (1 cup), 2–3 per pie
Extra rhubarb batons — 115g (4 oz), roasted, for the glaze
FOR THE VANILLA ITALIAN MERINGUE:
Egg whites — 3 large, room temperature
Cream of tartar — 1g (¼ tsp)
Granulated sugar — 200g (1 cup)
Water — 60ml (¼ cup)
Vanilla extract — 5ml (1 tsp)
EQUIPMENT:
12-hole mini-tart tin (or individual fluted moulds)
Rolling pin and a round cutter to fit the tin
Baking beans or rice (for blind baking)
Roasting tin or baking sheet
Small saucepan
Stand mixer with whisk attachment
Piping bag with a star or plain nozzle
Kitchen blowtorch
Method
STEP 1: MAKE THE PÂTE SUCRÉE
Rub the cold butter into the flour, salt and icing sugar until the mixture looks sandy. Mix in the egg yolks and just enough cold water to bring it to a smooth dough. Flatten, wrap and chill for 30 minutes. Roll thin, cut discs and line the tartlet tin. Chill again, then blind-bake at 180°C (350°F) with baking beans for 12–15 minutes, remove the beans and bake 5 minutes more until pale gold and crisp.
STEP 2: ROAST THE RHUBARB
Toss the rhubarb batons with the granulated sugar, orange zest and (if using) grenadine, and leave for 15 minutes to macerate and draw out their juices. Spread in a single layer in a roasting tin and roast at 200°C (400°F) for 10–12 minutes, until tender but still holding their shape. Lift the batons out, tip the released juices into a small saucepan and reduce to a glossy syrup. Reserve some batons for the topping.
STEP 3: MAKE THE FRANGIPANE
Cream the soft butter and caster sugar, then beat in the egg. Fold in the ground almonds and flour. Add only a quarter-teaspoon of almond extract and beat in a tablespoon of the reduced rhubarb syrup, so the filling itself carries the rhubarb flavour.
STEP 4: FILL AND BAKE
Spoon the frangipane into each case to about two-thirds full. Press in a couple of blackberries and a few pieces of the roasted rhubarb per pie. Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 20–25 minutes, until the frangipane is set and golden. Cool in the tin.
STEP 5: GLAZE FOR THE RHUBARB ECHO
While still warm, brush the tops and the reserved roasted batons with the reduced rhubarb syrup, putting rhubarb flavour on the first and last bite.
STEP 6: MAKE THE VANILLA ITALIAN MERINGUE
Put the egg whites and cream of tartar in a stand mixer. Boil the granulated sugar and water to 118–121°C (244–250°F). As the syrup nears temperature, whisk the whites to soft peaks, then pour the hot syrup in a slow, steady stream down the side of the bowl. Whisk on high for 8–10 minutes until thick, glossy and cool, beating in the vanilla at the end.
STEP 7: PIPE, TORCH AND FINISH
Pipe the meringue onto each cooled pie. Torch to golden peaks with a kitchen blowtorch. Top each with a glazed rhubarb baton and a blackberry, and serve.
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Instructions
FOR THE PÂTE SUCRÉE:
Unsalted butter, cold — 125g (9 tbsp), cubed
All-purpose flour — 225g (1¾ cups)
Fine salt — 1g (¼ tsp)
Icing (powdered) sugar — 60g (½ cup)
Egg yolks — 2
Cold water — 5–10ml (1–2 tsp), to bring together
FOR THE ROASTED RHUBARB:
Rhubarb (forced/pink if possible) — 400g (14 oz), cut in 2.5cm/1-in batons
Granulated sugar — 50g (¼ cup)
Orange zest — from ½ orange
Grenadine (optional) — 5ml (1 tsp), or a little grated ginger
FOR THE ALMOND FRANGIPANE:
Unsalted butter, soft — 100g (7 tbsp)
Caster (superfine) sugar — 100g (½ cup)
Large egg — 1
Ground almonds — 100g (1 cup)
All-purpose flour — 10g (1 tbsp)
Almond extract — 1ml (¼ tsp), reduced so the rhubarb leads
Reduced rhubarb syrup — 15ml (1 tbsp), from the roasting
FOR ASSEMBLY & TOPPING:
Fresh blackberries — 125g (1 cup), 2–3 per pie
Extra rhubarb batons — 115g (4 oz), roasted, for the glaze
FOR THE VANILLA ITALIAN MERINGUE:
Egg whites — 3 large, room temperature
Cream of tartar — 1g (¼ tsp)
Granulated sugar — 200g (1 cup)
Water — 60ml (¼ cup)
Vanilla extract — 5ml (1 tsp)
EQUIPMENT:
12-hole mini-tart tin (or individual fluted moulds)
Rolling pin and a round cutter to fit the tin
Baking beans or rice (for blind baking)
Roasting tin or baking sheet
Small saucepan
Stand mixer with whisk attachment
Digital sugar thermometer
Piping bag with a star or plain nozzle
Kitchen blowtorch
Fine-mesh sieve
Offset spatula
Heading 5
Ingredients
STEP 1: MAKE THE PÂTE SUCRÉE
Rub the cold butter into the flour, salt and icing sugar until the mixture looks sandy. Mix in the egg yolks and just enough cold water to bring it to a smooth dough. Flatten, wrap and chill for 30 minutes. Roll thin, cut discs and line the tartlet tin. Chill again, then blind-bake at 180°C (350°F) with baking beans for 12–15 minutes, remove the beans and bake 5 minutes more until pale gold and crisp.
STEP 2: ROAST THE RHUBARB
Toss the rhubarb batons with the granulated sugar, orange zest and (if using) grenadine, and leave for 15 minutes to macerate and draw out their juices. Spread in a single layer in a roasting tin and roast at 200°C (400°F) for 10–12 minutes, until tender but still holding their shape. Lift the batons out, tip the released juices into a small saucepan and reduce to a glossy syrup. Reserve some batons for the topping.
STEP 3: MAKE THE FRANGIPANE
Cream the soft butter and caster sugar, then beat in the egg. Fold in the ground almonds and flour. Add only a quarter-teaspoon of almond extract and beat in a tablespoon of the reduced rhubarb syrup, so the filling itself carries the rhubarb flavour.
STEP 4: FILL AND BAKE
Spoon the frangipane into each case to about two-thirds full. Press in a couple of blackberries and a few pieces of the roasted rhubarb per pie. Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 20–25 minutes, until the frangipane is set and golden. Cool in the tin.
STEP 5: GLAZE FOR THE RHUBARB ECHO
While still warm, brush the tops and the reserved roasted batons with the reduced rhubarb syrup, putting rhubarb flavour on the first and last bite.
STEP 6: MAKE THE VANILLA ITALIAN MERINGUE
Put the egg whites and cream of tartar in a stand mixer. Boil the granulated sugar and water to 118–121°C (244–250°F). As the syrup nears temperature, whisk the whites to soft peaks, then pour the hot syrup in a slow, steady stream down the side of the bowl. Whisk on high for 8–10 minutes until thick, glossy and cool, beating in the vanilla at the end.
STEP 7: PIPE, TORCH AND FINISH
Pipe the meringue onto each cooled pie. Torch to golden peaks with a kitchen blowtorch. Top each with a glazed rhubarb baton and a blackberry, and serve.
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