Calamansi Pie

Kitty FloridoAugust 22, 2013

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This Calamansi Pie has taken me over a year to test, and finally be able to share the recipe with you. You see, mi grandma Flory has always had this tree of tiny yellow lemons… but I never knew they were calamansi. Every year, between August to November this tree fills up with the tiny lemons and I love to make calamansi-limeade, but instead of preparing it just with the fruit and sweeten with sugar, we prepare a simple syrup.

Last year, I made the first version of this recipe, adding zest and ginger… but it made it too bitter. Then, little by little I am improving my pie making skills. To tell you how bad it was, let me tell you that a pie’s crust shrunk so much, that I refused to post it here. the curd came out amazing, but the crust recipe was not up to par… you guys deserve the best! So, fast forward a year and what do I get from Grandma? Not one but two big bags of calamansi fruit – so not only we’re having tons of calamansi limeade, I decided to try out a new version of this recipe.

But what do you really know about the Calamansi? At first, I thought they were small oranges that just grew at my grandmother’s garden, but no. It turns out that they grow along Southeast Asia, India, Hawaii, occidental Indias, Central and North America. When they are harvested, they are green but when they get ripe, they turn into a bright orange color. The juice is extracted by squeezing the fruit, and the juice is often used to season fish, poultry and pork. The calamansi can be cut into halves or quarters, and they can also be used as an addition for iced tea, sea food and meats.

All around, its a versatile fruit so much like oranges, limes and lemons… and the possibilities are endless. I can’t wait to do more kitchen testing to give you more recipes!

Kitty

With information from Wikipedia

Calamansi Pie

Adapted from Martha Stewart
8 portiones

Ingredients:
½ Pate Brisé recipe
¼ cup of all purpose flour
1 ⅓ cup and additional ½ cup of sugar, separated
1 ¾ cups of water
¼ cups of cornstarch
salt
¾ cup of calamansi juice
½ teaspoon of ground ginger
2 egg yolks, plus 4 egg whites
pinch of cream of tartar
½ teaspoon of vanilla

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Grease a quiche tin 9-by-12 inches or a pie dish, set aside.
Place the pate briseé on a lightly floured surface, and roll the pastry until its ⅛-inch thick. To prevent the pastry from sticking to the counter and to ensure uniform thickness, keep lifting up and turning the pastry a quarter turn as you roll. Always roll from the center of the pastry outwards. Fold the dough in half and gently transfer the prepared pie pan. Brush off any excess flour and trim the edges of the pastry to fit the pie pan. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Add parchment paper and fill with pie weights or beans. Bake until its dried and golden, about 25 minutes. Remove the weight and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and place it on a cooling rack until cools completely.
In a small pot, ad 1 ⅓ cups of sugar, cornstarch, all-purpose flour and ¼ teaspoon of salt, and mix it with 1 ¾ cups of water.
Bring to a boil in mid-high heat, whisking constantly. Cook, mixing until it thickens. This takes about 3 minutes.
Add the calamansi juice and ginger, mix until combine. Remove from heat and add the yolks, mixing promptly after adding each one.
Return to the heat, and cook until its bubbly in the middle, about 4 to 5 minutes in the stove. Strain into a bowl and cool for at least 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. When its completely cool, add to the pie shell and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours or overnight.
Mix the remaining ½ cup of sugar, with the egg whites and a pinch of salt in the bowl of an electric mixer. Place on a double boiler. Cook until the sugar its already dissolved.
Move to the mixer, and beat until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and keep on mixing until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and mix until its well incorporated.
Place the meringue on top of the pie filling, leaving a border between the pie crust/filling and the meringue. You can torch the top of the meringue or place it under the oven’s broiler until golden. Serve immediately.

Have you made this recipe?

Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and share a picture with the hashtag #thefoodieskitchen!

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