Chestnut and Blackcurrant Meringue Pies

Ingredients

• Make the Chestnut Shortcrust Pastry
• Pulse all-purpose flour, chestnut flour, powdered sugar, and salt in a food proc
• Add cold butter cubes and pulse until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs with
• Add egg yolk and 1 tablespoon ice water. Pulse just until dough begins to clump.
• Turn dough onto a work surface and bring together into a disc. Wrap tightly in p
• Roll dough to ⅛-inch thickness. Use rolling pin guides or wooden dowels to ensur
• Cut eight 5-inch circles for 3½-inch tartlet pans. Gently press dough into pans,
• Refrigerate lined pans 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375°F
• Line each tartlet with parchment and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Blind
• Make the Blackcurrant Compote
• Combine blackcurrants, sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan over medium heat
• Cook, stirring occasionally, until berries burst and mixture thickens to jam con
• Remove from heat and stir in cassis if using. Reserve ¼ cup for the crema and me
• For purée: press reserved portion through a fine-mesh sieve to remove seeds
• Make the Blackcurrant Crema
• Heat cream and milk in a saucepan until steaming
• In a bowl, whisk egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch until smooth and pale
• Slowly pour hot cream mixture into yolks, whisking constantly to temper
• Return to saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture
• Remove from heat. Whisk in blackcurrant purée, cassis if using, and salt
• Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Press plastic wrap directly onto s
• Make the Chestnut Cream
• In a stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat sweetened chestnut purée and butte
• Add unsweetened chestnut purée and mix until combined—this deepens the chestnut
• In a separate bowl, whip heavy cream to soft peaks
• Fold whipped cream into chestnut mixture in two additions. Add rum, vanilla, and
• Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a Mont Blanc tip or small round tip. Refrig
• Assemble the Base Layers
• Spoon 1 tablespoon blackcurrant compote into each cooled tartlet shell and sprea
• Spoon or pipe blackcurrant crema over compote, filling shells about two-thirds f
• Pipe chestnut cream in a mound over the crema. For traditional Mont Blanc style,
• Refrigerate assembled tartlets while preparing meringue
• Make the Yuzu-Blackcurrant Meringue
• Combine egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt in a heatproof bowl. Set ov
• Whisk constantly until sugar dissolves and mixture reaches 160°F , 3-4 minutes
• Transfer to stand mixer with whisk attachment. Beat on high until stiff, glossy
• Beat in yuzu juice and zest
• Transfer about one-third of meringue to a small bowl. Fold in blackcurrant purée
• Spoon plain and blackcurrant meringues side by side into a piping bag fitted wit
• Pipe meringue onto each tartlet in decorative swirls or peaks, covering the ches