Berry, Coconut and Meringue Pie

Name: Berry, Coconut and Meringue Pie
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 All-Purpose Crust, Coconut Variation; 4 cup wild blueberries, thawed if frozen; 0.5 cup packed dark brown sugar; 3 tbsp cornstarch; 0.5 tsp finely grated lime zest; 2 tbsp fresh lime juice; 0.25 tsp salt; 2 tsp unsalted butter; 4 large egg whites; 0.25 tsp cream of tartar; 6 tbsp granulated sugar; 2 tbsp sweetened coconut flakes

From the kitchen of Carly

Wild blueberries with lime brightness meet toasted coconut and billowy meringue in this showstopper pie. The coconut crust grounds it all, while the tart filling cuts through the sweetness. Bake it once, finish it twice for maximum drama.

Wild blueberries thickened with cornstarch and spiked with lime juice settle into a coconut crust, then top with a cloud of meringue that bakes until the tips turn golden brown. The filling stays jammy and bright, the meringue stays crisp outside and tender inside, and the coconut crust does exactly what it's supposed to do: hold everything together without stealing the show.

Prep: n/a
Cook: n/a
Total: n/a
Servings: 4
Difficulty: medium

Ingredients

4 servings

1All-Purpose Crust, Coconut Variation
4 cupwild blueberries, thawed if frozen
1/2 cuppacked dark brown sugar
3 tbspcornstarch
1/2 tspfinely grated lime zest
2 tbspfresh lime juice
1/4 tspsalt
2 tspunsalted butter
4 largeegg whites
1/4 tspcream of tartar
6 tbspgranulated sugar
2 tbspsweetened coconut flakes

Instructions

Set the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, combine the blueberries, brown sugar, cornstarch, lime zest, lime juice, and salt, tossing until the berries are well coated. Tip the mixture into the crust-lined pie pan and dot the top with butter. Set the pie on a baking sheet and slide it onto the lowest rack. Bake for 30 minutes, until the crust is golden. About 10 minutes before the pie comes out, start the meringue: in a stand mixer, whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar until very foamy, then stream in the granulated sugar gradually and beat until firm peaks hold, about 8 minutes. Pull the pie from the oven and spread the meringue across the hot filling, going all the way to the edges. Scatter the coconut flakes over the top, then return the pie to the oven and bake for another 15 minutes, until the meringue is lightly browned.

Tips from the kitchen

Spread the meringue while the pie is still hot from the oven, so it can cook through gently and set properly without collapsing as it cools.
Don't skip the cream of tartar, it stabilizes the egg whites and keeps the meringue from weeping or beading during baking.
If your blueberries are fresh instead of frozen, reduce the cornstarch to 2 tablespoons, they'll release less liquid.

Variations

Swap wild blueberries for blackberries or a mix of both, keep the lime zest and juice for brightness.
Skip the meringue entirely and top with whipped coconut cream after the pie cools, for a no-bake finish.
Replace half the blueberries with fresh raspberries for a deeper, more complex berry flavor.

Make ahead and storage

Eat this pie the day it's made for the best texture, meringue goes stale fast. Store any leftovers loosely covered in the fridge for up to 2 days, meringue will soften but the filling stays good.