adapted from an Amish recipe that I saw on Man Vs Food.
pastry
3oz margarine
6oz plain flour
pinch salt
water, very cold
crumb them together, ideally use a food processor so you don't overwork the pastry. once it's a sandy texture (you'll hear more of that) add water in a dribble until it forms a softish dough. roll out, line a greased and floured tin, blind bake until light gold. remove from oven and set aside.
filling 1
1/2 jar peanut butter
lots of icing sugar.
pour peanut butter into a food processor (I did say ADAPTED from an Amish recipe lol) and set to slow. keep adding icing sugar until it forms a soft sandy texture. set this aside.
filling 2 "vanilla pudding" (thick custard)
4 egg yolks. put the whites you've separated into a bowl which has been completely cleaned, dried and had some lemon juice or vinegar rubbed around it. you're gonna make meringue later!
lots of caster sugar
1/2 pt milk : hot. above blood temp, but still at a level where you can stick your finger in it.
1tsp vanilla extract
1tsp cornflour (stabilises it so it wont curdle as easily... mine still managed to curdle a little)
beat the yolks and the sugar in a glass/pottery/metal bowl and beat well over a pan of simmering water. once it starts to foam and goes a lighter colour, keep beating while slowly adding the milk. beat really well, lift off the bowl, dump the water out of the pan below, dry quickly and pour the custard mixture into the pan. beat well and bring to the boil while beating. i mean beat it, don't tickle it, BEAT it. once it thickens, remove from heat and if, like me, you have cast iron pans, plunge the bottom of the pan into cold water.
set aside.
Meringue: the pie on MvF was topped with whipped cream, but I'm lactose intolerant
4 egg whites
1tsp cornflour
caster sugar (about 5 tbsp)
beat the egg whites with the cornflour until they almost double in volume. I suggest using an electric whisk cos it's a bitch to do by hand.... again, ADAPTED recipe lol.
add half of the sugar and beat until glossy, then fold in the other half carefully. do the stiff peak test and hold it over your head if you feel the need.
now for putting the PIEEEEEE together.
take your case. trim it if you've not already done that, then sprinkle in some of the peanut mix. a handful and a half...?! top with vanilla pudding and then more peanut stuff, then the meringue. I had enough meringue from the 4 egg whites that I was able to make a pavolva base too. bake at 150 deg C until the meringue is golden.
remove from oven and allow to cool slightly so the outside of the meringue crisps up a bit.
cut and serve. it's a little sloppy when warm, hence the slightly terrible photos, but it's ooooh so gooooooood.
mmmmm pavlova base too lol
