This Mile-High Raspberry Meringue Pie transforms a popular lemon dessert into a pretty pink slice of heaven

The billowy meringue on this Mile-High Raspberry Meringue Pie will capture the attention of everyone at the table, but the sweet, tart raspberry filling will steal the show. Fresh raspberries are puréed and cooked into a ruby-hued lemon curd, then set inside a slightly-salty graham cracker crust.  

Mile-High Raspberry Meringue Pie

Meringue can be fussy at times but with a few helpful tips, success is guaranteed. Bring the egg whites to room temperature before whipping them and make sure your bowl and whip attachment are clean and dry, with no trace of grease or residue. There can be no bits of yolk in the whites, so separate your eggs carefully — slow and steady wins the race. Add sugar, just a bit at a time and to avoid deflation, don’t over manipulate the whites once whipped.

Ingredients

Crust:

• 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
• 3 tbsp lightly packed brown sugar
• ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
• ¼ tsp salt

Filling:

• 1 pint (340 g) fresh raspberries (or 2 cups frozen)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 5 tbsp cornstarch
• ¼ cup water
• 1 tbsp finely grated lemon zest
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• ½ cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 5 egg yolks
• 1 egg

Meringue:

• 5 egg whites (no trace of yolk)
• ¼ tsp cream of tartar
• ¼ tsp salt
• ⅓ cup icing sugar

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. 

Crust: 

Combine graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar and salt; drizzle melted butter over top and toss until evenly moistened. Press into the bottom and up the sides of a deep, 9-inch pie plate. Use the bottom of a small measuring cup to tamp down the crumbs into an even layer. 

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until fragrant and lightly browned. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Filling: 

Purée raspberries in a blender or food processor until smooth. Strain through a fine mesh sieve; discard seeds. Place purée into a medium saucepan. Add sugar, cornstarch, water, lemon zest and lemon juice. Set over medium heat.

Cook, whisking constantly, for 5 minutes or until starting to bubble. Remove from heat, whisk in butter, a few cubes at a time, until melted. Whisk in egg yolks and whole egg. Return to heat and cook for 4 to 6 minutes or until very thick. Immediately pour into cooled crust and smooth the top. Cool slightly before covering the surface directly with plastic wrap. Chill for at least 4 hours or up to 1 day. 

Meringue: 

Using a stand mixer, fitted with the whip attachment, beat egg whites with cream of tartar and salt on high speed until softly set. With the motor running on medium-high speed, slowly add sugar, a spoonful at a time, until whites hold stiff peaks. 

Dollop over filling, spreading up to the edge of the crust. Use the back of a spoon to make decorative swirls with peaks and valleys. 

Set oven rack in the middle position and broil pie for 2 to 3 minutes or until meringue is evenly browned (keep an eye on it!). Cool for at least 20 minutes before serving. 

Refrigerate, loosely covered, for up to 2 days.  

Yield: Makes 8 servings

Sabrina is owner and Chief Culinary Officer of SF Creative Culinary Services, an all-inclusive content marketing agency, based just outside Toronto serving food & beverage brands all over the world. Follow along on Instagram @sf_creativeculinaryservices.