Ingredients
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2 cups (240 grams) flour
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1 tablespoon (15 grams) sugar
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1/2 teaspoon (3 grams) salt
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1 cup (225 grams) unsalted butter, cold, cubed
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1 egg
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3 tablespoons (45 milliliters) milk
Filling:
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1-1/4 cups (280 grams) sugar
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1/2 cup (65 grams) cornstarch
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1/4 teaspoon (1 gram) salt
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2-1/2 cups (590 milliliters) water
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4 egg yolks
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1 tablespoon (15 grams) butter
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1/2 teaspoon (3 grams) vanilla extract
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1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) calamansi or lemon zest
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1/2 cup (120 milliliters) calamansi juice (or 6 tablespoons (90 milliliters) lemon juice + 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) orange juice)
Meringue:
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4 egg whites
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1/4 teaspoon (1 gram) cream of tartar
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1/2 cup (115 grams) superfine sugar
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1/4 teaspoon (1 gram) cornstarch
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1/4 teaspoon (1 gram) vanilla extract
Directions
Pastry:
- Combine flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter or two knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Beat egg and milk together in a separate small bowl. Add to flour mixture and stir together to form shaggy dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently to bring together. Wrap in plastic wrap and form into a disk. Refrigerate between 30 minutes-a few hours.
- Heat oven to 400°F (205°C).
- Roll dough on a lightly floured work surface to six millimeters thick. Transfer to a 23 centimeter pie plate, trim and crimp edges. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Dock the bottom all over with a fork. Cover pie with aluminum foil or parchment paper and fill it with pie weights or dried beans.
- Bake crust for 20 to 25 minutes, until beginning to set and brown at edges. Remove foil or parchment and weights. Continue to bake until golden, about eight to 12 minutes. Cool completely.
Filling:
- Whisk together sugar, cornstarch and salt in a medium saucepan. Slowly whisk in water and turn heat on to medium. Bring mixture to a boil, whisking frequently, until thick and glossy, about three to five minutes.
- Place the yolks in a heat-proof bowl. Slowly stream in about one cup (225 grams) of the hot sugar mixture into egg yolk bowl. Add bowl contents to remaining sugar mixture in saucepan and cook, whisking constantly, over medium heat for oneminute. Remove from the heat and whisk in butter, vanilla, zest and juice. Pour into cooled crust. Cover surface of filling with plastic wrap while preparing meringue.
Meringue:
- To make the meringue, beat egg whites and cream of tartar on medium speed with a hand mixer in a large bowl until foamy. Whisk together sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Increase speed to high and add sugar mixture, one tablespoon (15 grams) at a time, until the egg whites hold medium peaks.
- Remove plastic from filled pie crust and dollop about half meringue onto filling, spreading to ensuring it touches crust all the way around pie. Using a butter knife or skewer, swirl through the meringue and filling to further affix the two together. Dollop remaining meringue onto the pie and swirl.
- Bake at 400°F (205°C) until meringue is golden, five to seven minutes. Cool to room temperature. Refrigerate at least four hours before serving.
