Pineapple Meringue Pie with Ritz Cracker Crust

We had another dinner party last night so I wanted to bake another pie for dessert and wanted something different from those I had bake before.  Pineapples aren’t that common a filling flavour for pies so decided to try this one.  I have to say it was delicious, I reduced the sugar from the original recipe especially the meringue which I also prepared as a Swiss meringue instead of the French meringue in the original recipe since I find them a bit more stable.

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Filling 

One 20-ounce can crushed pineapple (do not drain)

1 cup sour cream

¾ cup sugar (I reduced to a bit under ¾ cup)

¼ cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed

1/2 tsp kosher salt

2 egg yolks

Meringue 

3 egg whites, at room temperature

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar (reduced to just under ¼ cup)

Ritz Cracker Crust

• 5 ounces round buttery crackers (such as Ritz) (about 40 crackers), crushed.  (Original not enough increased to 175 g)
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar (reduce greatly to 1 tbsp)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (reduce to ½ tsp)
• 1/2 cup (4 oz.) unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Crush the crackers finely, but not to dust. You can use a food processor or your hands. Add the salt and sugar, then knead in the butter until the crumbs hold together like dough. Press into an 9-inch pie pan. Freeze for 30 minutes, then bake for 20 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.   

To make the filling: In a large saucepan, combine the pineapple with its syrup, the sour cream, sugar, flour, lemon juice, and salt. Cook over medium heat until the mixture begins to bubble, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes more. In a medium heatproof bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Continue to whisk vigorously while adding a few splashes of the hot pineapple mixture into the bowl to temper the eggs. Dump everything back into the pan, and cook for 2 minutes longer, stirring constantly.

Pour the filling into the pie shell and set aside.

Make the Swiss meringue.

With gently simmering water, the meringue should cook fairly fast. If you find the temperature climbing too slowly, simply crank up the heat.

Fill a 3-quart pot with 1½-inches of water and place over medium-low heat, with a ring of crumpled foil set in the middle to act as a booster seat. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine egg whites, sugar, salt, cream of tartar, and rose water or vanilla bean (if using). Place over steamy water, stirring and scraping constantly with a flexible spatula until thin, foamy, and 175°F on a digital thermometer, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whip on high until glossy, thick, and quadrupled in volume, about 5 minutes. Use immediately.

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My index of bakes.