Rhubarb and Coconut Meringue Pie

My mum picked out this recipe as the dessert for her Mothers Day meal as she loves rhubarb. I have never made a meringue pie so it was a first for me! I really great way to impress friends and family, also most of it you can make a day ahead.

Ingredients:

For the pie

• 700g rhubarb cut into 3cm pieces
•  160g caster sugar
• The zest and juice of 1 orange
• 4 tbsp cornflour
• 4 large egg yolks
• 50g melted unsalted butter 

For the pastry

• 50g dessicated coconut
• 200g plain flour
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 110g unsalted butter (cold and cut into cubes)
• Aprox 2 tbsp iced water

For the meringue

• 3 Large egg whites
• 175g caster sugar
• 40g  dessicated coconut

Recipe:

1. For the pastry, put the coconut into a food processor with 1 tbsp of the flour and pulse into a fine mixture. Add the flour, coconut and sugar  into a large bowl and mix, add in the better and using your finger tips rub into the flour mixture until it resembles find breadcrumbs. Add just enough iced water to bind. Knead briefly until smooth (try to touch the pastry as little as possible), wrap in cling film and put it into the fridge for 20 mins.
2. While the pastry is chilling mix the rhubarb with 70g of sugar and the zest and juice of the orange. Scatter into a roasting tray and cook for 20 minuets at 190°C. Process the rhubarb and the juices in a food processor until smooth and pass through a sieve with a wooden spoon. Set aside.
3. Turn the oven up to 200 °C. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and use to line a 20cm x 3.5cm fluted loose bottomed tart tin. Line with baking paper and fill with baking beans or rice and blind bake for 12 mins on a baking sheet. Remove the baking beans and paper and cook for a further 5 minuets or until crisp and golden. Set aside.
4. In a small bowl mix the remaining sugar, corn flour and some of the rhubarb purée to make a paste. Add into a pan with the rest of the rhubarb purée and bring to the boil on a medium heat, allow this to bubble  for a minuet, then remove it from the heat. Taste and if is too tart add in some more sugar. Mix the egg yolks with the butter, add in the rhubarb mixture to make a curd. Scrape into a bowl, cool and then chill.
5. Pour the curd into the pastry case and bake for 30 minuets at  190°C until set. Allow to cool completely. (if your making this a day ahead leave in the fridge until you are ready to finish the dessert).
6. Then to finish make the  meringue . Whisk the egg white until stiff, then add in the sugar 1 tbsp at a time whisking until still each time. Then fold through the coconut and spoon the  meringue  over the rhubarb tart base. Bake in the oven for 15 minuets at  190°C until the meringue is golden and crisp on the outside. Then cool and serve!