It’s icy out there thanks to the deluge of snow the Cape has received over the last few days (so prettyyyyy!) but I am here to help with some gorgeous baked puddings served up in pleasing individual pie format, yay! Of the many cold weather comfort foods to look forward to at this time of the year home made pies are definitely in my Top 5. Plus you get major domestic god(dess) points for making them from scratch. If you are into savoury pies you might enjoy these creamy chicken and mushroom pot pies or these conveniently hand-sized spinach and feta empanadas. And for the dessert course look no further than these scrumptious mini chocolate orange meringue pies.
One of my all time favourite desserts is a lemon meringue pie (or anything lemony if I am completely honest) but I wanted to give my recipe a winter twist now that seasonal citrus is readily available in the fresh produce aisles. The dessert has a chocolate biscuit base and a creamy and sweet orangy centre. Top it all off with some meringue and you are in a dessert heaven my friends!
You will love this chocolate orange spin on the classic lemon meringue! C’mon dessert lovers…grab those aprons and let’s make some pie!
MINI CHOCOLATE ORANGE MERINGUE PIES
For the biscuit base:
- 4 large ramekins
- 200g chocolate coated digestive biscuits
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- 70g butter, melted
For the orange filling:
- 3 large egg yolks
- 2 tsp finely grated orange rind
- ½ cup fresh orange juice
- 1 x 385g tin condensed milk
For the meringue:
- 4 large egg whites
- ¼ tsp cream of tartar
- pinch of fine salt
- 1 cup castor sugar
1.) Preheat your oven to 180ºC. Lightly grease four 300ml ramekins (you could use six slightly smaller ones if you prefer).
2.) Blitz the chocolate digestives in a food processor to make biscuit crumbs. Alternatively, pop the biscuits in a ziplock bag and crush with a rolling pin. Pour the biscuit crumbs into a bowl and stir in the cocoa. Add the melted butter and stir until everything is well combined.
3.) Divide the crumbs between the ramekins. Press lightly into an even layer, then pop the ramekins into the fridge while you make the filling.
4.) For the filling: place the egg yolks, orange rind, orange juice and condensed milk into a bowl. Whisk well until everything is combined.
5.) Divide the orange filling between the four chilled ramekins. Place the ramekins on a tray and bake for 15 -20 minutes (10 – 15 minutes if you are using smaller ramekins). The filling should be just set on top but still wobbly underneath when it comes out of the oven.
6.) While the filling is baking start the meringue. Place the egg whites in a large, clean glass bowl and whisk to soft peak stage. Add the cream of tartar and salt and continue to whisk until stiff peaks form when you lift the beater up.
7.) Gradually add the castor sugar to the egg whites, one to two tablespoons at a time, whisking well between each addition. Continue to whisk until all the sugar has dissolved and you have a thick meringue mixture.
8.) Let the hot orange meringue pots stand for 5 mins, then pipe or spoon the meringue onto the hot orange filling. Put the tray back into the oven and bake for a further 20 minutes. Allow the pies to cool completely before serving.
Never even thought about orange meringue pie before. Looks amazing!
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Thanks! At first I was a bit hesitant to mess with a classic, but I’m so glad I did. 😉
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Hmmm… my book club are in for a treat with these!!
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What a fabulous idea! x
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My two favorite flavors together, chocolate and orange
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Always a winning combo! 😉
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Pinned! Love lemon meringue pie but I really love chocolate and orange together. This recipe looks brilliant!
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Thank you so much Jennifer! I hope you enjoy it. 🙂
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Looks absolutely stunning & yummy. Might just take a 1st stab @ making meringues. Have always steered away.
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Thank you so much Thandi! I hope you’ll give the meringue a try… you can do it! 😉
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Photos are fab and I’m definitely going to make these x
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Thank you Steph, and you’ve reminded me that I should make them again too!
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