Rhubarb meringue pie

Two weeks ago we went to Johanna, a beautiful beach with a lush little camping spot just next to the beach. What we though was a hidden gem, only known to surfers since it’s a really good surf spot. But when we got there late saturday, filled with hope and excitement, we’ve been wanting to go quite a while, only to discover that our little  secret spot was not so secret. It’s was packed and so much bigger that what we though last time we where there. It could be described as a mix between a music festival (without the music) and caravan park (without the amenities).  There was literally no space to camp, but finally we found a little spot cramped in between a bus and the road. The next disappointment was the realization of the fact that we couldn’t get the tent up. So to sum up, it was a disaster and we left early next morning.

Anyways, after some super tasty fish and chips at the beach in Lorne, we stopped at a berry farm on our way back to town. Unfortunately our bad luck wasn’t over and there was no berries, but I picked some rhubarb and apples and made this lovely pie when we got back. A sweet ending to our weekend.

Rhubarb meringue pie

You need:

1¼ cups flour

5 tbsp. sugar

150 grams butter (cold)

2 egg yolks

—

250 grams rhubarb, chopped into 2 cm pieces

100 grams apple, peeled and grated

¼ cup sugar

(Vanilla -sugar, -beans or extract)

—

3 egg whites

½ cup sugar

How to:

1. Start by making the crust.  Put flour, butter, sugar and egg yolk (save the white for the meringue) into a food processor and use the pulse button so the mix is not overworked, process until the mix starts to bind. Turn onto a sheet of non-stick baking paper and roll out to a 5mm-thick disc. Use the pastry to line a pie dish. (If you’re not to fussy you could just place the pastry in a pie dish and with you hands knead out the dough so that it covers) Trim excess pastry and place in the fridge for 30 minutes (or over night) to rest.

1. Bake the crust in the middle of the oven for about 20 minutes at 175°C.

1. In a bowl mix rhubarb, apple and sugar and some vanilla, if you want to (I love it). And put cover the crust with them. Bake for about 15 more minutes.

1. Increase the heat in the oven to 200°C. Put the egg whites in a large bowl. Whisk to soft peaks, then add half the sugar a spoonful at a time, whisking between each addition without overbeating. The meringue is done when it is glossy and firm. Now cover the rhubarb filling with the meringue and put it back in to the oven for an additional 15-20 minutes.

1. EAT!