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Cantaloupe Meringue Pie

adapted from All Recipes ^[1]

Dessert | Servings: 1 9″ pie (8 servings)
Prep time: 1 hour | Cook time: 10 min | Total time: 1 hour 10 min

Ingredients

Crust:

• 1 1/2 cups finely ground shortbread cookies (like Keebler Sandies)
• 3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

Filling:

• 1 large very ripe cantaloupe
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 cup sugar (increase up to 1/2 cup if your cantaloupe isn’t very sweet)
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp. water
• 3 egg yolks
• 2 tbsp. water
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 1/4 tsp. vanilla

Topping:

• 3 egg whites
• 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
• 6 tbsp. sugar

Process

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Mix together shortbread cookie crumbs and melted butter until the crumbs hold together well (you may need to add another tablespoon of melted butter if they don’t). Press evenly into the bottom and sides of a 9″ pie plate. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the crust starts to lightly brown on the top and edges. Set aside to cool.
2. Turn your oven up to 400 degrees (F). Cut your cantaloupe in half and discard the seeds. Scoop out the pulp (a cookie or ice cream scoop works great for this) and put into a large saucepan.
3. Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring to a gentle boil, mashing the cantaloup as it heats to bring out all the juice. Transfer the mashed cantaloupe pulp to a food processor or blender and process for a minute or until smooth. You should have about 2 cups of cantaloupe, if you have more, set aside the rest for another use (like a granita ^[2] or a sorbet ^[3]). Pour the 2 cups of cantaloupe back into the saucepan.
4. Mix together flour, sugar and salt in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, dissolve cornstarch in 1/2 tsp. of water. Add the flour and cornstarch mixtures to the cantaloupe and cook, stirring, until thickened.
5. Separate your eggs, placing the yolks into a medium bowl and the whites in small bowl. Set aside the whites and let come to room temperature.
6. Beat egg yolks until smooth. Add 2 tbsp. of water. Stir a little of the cantaloupe mixture into the egg yolks in order to heat the yolks gradually. Pour the yolk mixture into cantaloupe mixture. Continue cooking for about 10-15 minutes, stirring regularly, until the filling is thick and creamy and can coat a spoon.
7. Remove from heat. Add in butter and vanilla and stir until the butter has fully melted. The filling should look like a custard or pudding and in fact you could transfer it to a ramekin and chill to eat it as such.
8. Pour into the baked pie crust.
9. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar together until frothy. Continue beating, adding 6 tablespoons sugar (feel free to use less if you prefer your desserts less sweet) gradually, until stiff peaks form. Scoop the meringue on top of the pie filling and smooth with a spatula.
10. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until delicately brown on top. Cool completely. Serve at room temperature or chilled. Store in the fridge, covered in plastic wrap.