PUMPKIN MERINGUE PIE IN A JAR RECIPE, WHAT’S NOT TO LIKE?! EVERY GUEST GETS THEIR OWN LITTLE JAR OF HAPPINESS. A MAKE AHEAD DESSERT MAKES IT EASY TO ENTERTAIN!
This Pumpkin Meringue Pie in a jar recipe is simple to make but it does have a few techniques you’ll need to master. When you’re making the pumpkin custard you will need to temper some hot milk into a beaten egg mixture. It’s not difficult but you do have to be careful. If you add the eggs directly into the hot milk the eggs would scramble giving you a lumpy texture. First, beat the eggs with some sugar, pumpkin puree and cornstarch. You must beat the eggs as soon as you add the sugar. If you pour sugar onto eggs and it sits for even a few minutes the yolks will become hard. To temper the eggs, slowly pour the hot milk (a few tablespoons at a time at first, then a little faster) into the beaten egg and sugar mixture. Pour the egg. milk mixture into the pan and cook it slowly until it’s thick.
The second technique you need to learn is how to make a Swiss Meringue. In a Swiss meringue the egg and sugar mixture is beaten over a double boiler of simmering water until the meringue reaches 160 degrees (you will need an instant read thermometer). Some recipes call for you to cook the meringue to only 135 degrees but that temperature is a dangerous zone for bacterial growth. 160 degrees is a much safer temperature. Once the meringue reaches the proper temperature beat the meringue on a mixer until it becomes firm.
Pumpkin puree is really easy to make from scratch (actually I use a kabocha squash instead of a pumpkin, I think they’re much sweeter and tastier). A one and a half or two pound sugar pumpkin or pie pumpkin would work fine. Just cut the pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds. Use a pan with at least 2 inch high sides. Add 1 inch of water and place the pumpkin halves in the pan cut side up and cover with foil. Bake until tender, about one and a half hours. Let the pumpkins cool and puree in a food processor until smooth
I made individual servings but of you like you can layer this into one large trifle dish. I had both four and eight ounce jars so I made some of each size. I even layered some into coffee mugs. Any way you make it you’ll have a beautiful and delicious dish to serve for the holidays…or any day!
Pumpkin Meringue Pie in a jar
Ingredients
- 2 cups biscoff cookies
- 3 tablespoons of dulce de leche
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 4 eggs whites and yolks separated
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Crush the biscoff into crumbs and stir the dulce de leche into the crumbs
- Spoon 2 tablespoons of the crumbs into the jars. Set aside
- Heat the heavy cream to a simmer in a saucepan
- In a bowl combine pumpkin, egg yolks, brown sugar, nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon and cornstarch. Beat with a whisk to blend thoroughly
- Slowly pour the heavy cream into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly
- Return the mixture to the saucepan and heat over medium low heat stirring constantly until thickened, about 5 minutes
- Watch this carefully because it can burn easily.
- Spoon the pumpkin custard into the jars. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator
- MAKE THE SWISS MERINGUE
- Bring one inch of water to a simmer
- Place egg whites in a bowl and whisk for 1 minute
- Pour the sugar into the egg whites slowly while whisking
- Place the bowl over the simmering water and whisk until the egg mixture reaches 160 degrees
- Transfer the egg white mixture into the bowl of a mixer and beat with the whisk attachment for 3-5 minutes until stiff peaks form
- Spoon 2 tablespoons of meringue over the chilled pumpkin custard and CAREFULLY toast the meringue with a torch or under the broiler for a few seconds
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