I have been a pie connoisseur since my early years, although I will admit my tastes have changed dramatically. My Grandma Ethel was known for her incredible pies and her extra flaky crusts, which were always made with lard. She made every classic kind imaginable: apple, peach, blueberry, cherry, and always my dad’s favorite, lemon meringue. I will admit to never enjoying meringue as a child; it was either baked into the pie (which always tasted too eggy to me) or else looked very similar to giant, beautiful piles of whipped cream. I was always fooled. The overly-sweet, sort of bubbly meringue I was served instead was often disappointing. That was until I discovered Swiss Meringue, an incredible light, smooth, balanced meringue that I am now smitten with. It pairs beautifully with chocolate mousse and a flaky crust, making for an incredible bite of dessert. I have used the base of my Black-bottom Chocolate Pie here, but added even more chocolate, and a flaky, forgiving, pat-in-the-pan lard crust that adds clean flavor. Topping this pie with piles of meringue or meringue ghosts is decadent, but delicious. Lard Makes an Incredibly Flaky Pie Crust Lard has a lot of advantages in […]
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