The sweet midwinter: Chocolate chestnut meringue pie

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The sweet midwinter: Chocolate chestnut meringue pie

By Skye Mcalpine

Published: | Updated:

A Mont Blanc of sorts, in beautiful pie form. The base is made from a mix of chocolate biscuits (any will do but bourbons work particularly well). You’ll need a cook’s blowtorch to burnish the meringue – worth the investment for the dramatic gilding effect it gives. 

SERVES 8-10

For the base

80g dark chocolate, chopped

450g chocolate bourbon biscuits

100g salted butter, softened

For the filling

350g unsweetened chestnut purée

75g dark muscovado sugar, plus extra to taste

30ml double cream

1 tbsp brandy

For the meringue

4 egg whites, at room temperature

¼ tsp cream of tartar

150g caster sugar

  • Put the chocolate in a food processor with the biscuits. Blitz until they form a crumb, then add the butter and blitz again until it starts to clump together. Press evenly into a deep 28cm fluted pie dish with a removable base and put in the freezer for 10-15 minutes to harden.
  • Meanwhile, spoon the chestnut purée into a bowl, add the muscovado and beat with an electric mixer or wooden spoon until the sugar has dissolved. Keep on beating as you slowly pour in the cream and brandy. Pause and taste: add a little more sugar, if you like. Pour into the chilled case, cover and store in the fridge. You can make it up to this stage 3 days in advance.
  • Place the egg whites in a clean, grease-free bowl and whisk on a low speed (if you have an electric whisk) until frothy. Add the cream of tartar and increase the speed to medium-high. Beat until soft peaks form, then gradually add the caster sugar and beat until firm peaks form. Dollop the meringue on to the pie and spread it out with the back of a spoon so all the filling is covered. Use the spoon to make small peaks in the meringue then caramelise with a blowtorch.