blueberry meringue pie

“I feel pretty – Oh, so pretty – That the city should give me its key – A committee – Should be organized to honor me – la la la la.”

What? You’ve never heard singing meringue?

I have a board in my kitchen where I post culinary ideas. Sometimes they’re inspired by an ingredient. Often the spark is drawn from a photo or even just the name of a recipe. Several weeks ago, I saw a “blueberry meringue pie.” Hmmm… I never thought of a blueberry version of a favorite pie. What a great idea! My ruminations took my mind through several possibilities – a pie for two, blueberry filling with a vanilla-flavored toasted top, an entirely blue pie, a crustless version…

Then I saw a photo online of a gorgeous, bright lime green soufflé encased in toasted meringue. That was the catalyst for what turned out to be essentially a scaled down crustless blueberry meringue pie.

So, how did it turn out?

As you can see, the toasted meringue provides for an eye-popping presentation. When sliced, layers of fluffy vanilla meringue and an airy purple-blue center are revealed. And the texture and flavor? Delicate yet creamy, sweet-tooth satisfying, with flavors of tropical coconut, toasted marshmallow and wonderfully intense wild Alaska blueberry. This dessert was as satisfying as a culinary achievement as it was to demolish – which we did in a gratifyingly indulgent blink of an eye.

You, too, can whip up (pun definitely intended) this five-star dessert. For the sake of making this scrumptious dish accessible to all levels of chefs, I’m writing up the directions for a mason jar version. If you are interested in the more difficult cloud-on-a-plate version, leave me a comment or message me and I’ll send that recipe to you.

The Blueberry Cloud (serves 6)

Ingredients for Blueberry Coconut Custard Base

1 envelope unflavored powdered gelatin
3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
pinch salt
4 eggs, yolks and whites separated
1/2 cup cold water
1/4 cup blueberry juice*
1 cup coconut cream (the thick part from the top of the can)

Directions for Blueberry Coconut Custard Base

In a double boiler, stir gelatin with 1/4 cup sugar and salt until well mixed.
In a small bowl, using a wire whisk beat egg yolks with cold water and blueberry juice until mixed.
Stir blueberry mixture into gelatin mixture.
Cook over simmering water, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
Remove from heat.
Pour into a large bowl and cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
Have six one-cup wide-mouth canning jars out and ready.
In a small bowl with the mixer at high speed, beat egg whites until soft peaks form.
Continue beating at high speed and gradually sprinkle in remaining 1/2 cup sugar.
Beat until the sugar is completely dissolved. Whites should stand in stiff peaks.
Fold the whites into the bowl with the blueberry mixture.
In a separate small bowl with the mixer at medium speed, whip the coconut cream.
Fold whipped cream into blueberry mixture.
Divide into wide mouth jars.
Chill the dessert in the refrigerator until firm, at least 3 hours.

Ingredients for Meringue Top

6 egg whites
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions for Meringue Top and Assembly

Place the egg whites in a large, very clean mixing bowl.
Beat whites on high speed.
When whites start to thicken, slowly add in the sugar a little at a time.
Beat on high speed until stiff peaks form.
Spread the meringue over the entire dessert. Toast the meringue using a chef’s torch.(People say, you can toast meringue under the broiler in the oven. If you don’t have a kitchen torch, this might be an alternative way of toasting. I have never tried this.)
Serve immediately.

*You can make blueberry juice by taking about a cup of blueberries and an ounce of water and simmering for about ten minutes. Using a potato masher, smash the berries. Place mixture in a cheesecloth-lined wire-mesh strainer and let the juice drip through. To keep the juice clear, do not squeeze the cheesecloth.