Grapefruit and ginger meringue pie
A stunning grapefruit tart featuring spiced pastry, silky homemade curd, and beautifully toasted Italian meringue. Impressively elegant, full of citrus zing, and perfect for special occasions.
Updated : 04 December, 2025
Easy
About 45 min.
Ingredients
For the pastry
250 grams
Flour
65 grams
Powdered sugar
0.5 teaspoon
Salt
3 teaspoon
Ginger powder
0.5 teaspoon
Cinnamon
125 grams
Butter
2
Egg yolks
1
Eggs
For the filling
6
Grapefruit
70 grams
Ginger
5
Egg yolks
3
Eggs
60 grams
Sugar
2 tablespoon
Corn flour
pinch
Salt
70 grams
Butter
For the Italian meringue
300 grams
Sugar
2 teaspoon
Lemon juice
140 grams
Egg whites
Table
Table of volume measurements:
- teaspoon - 5 ml
- dessert spoon - 10 ml
- tablespoon - 20 ml
- glass - 200 ml
Preparation
Step 1
For the pastry, sift together the flour, sugar, salt, ginger, and cinnamon into a large bowl. Add the butter and quickly rub the mixture between your fingertips until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolks and 3 tablespoons of water, then use your hands to bring the mixture together into a dough.
Step 2
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and gently knead until smooth. Flatten into a disc, wrap in cling film, and refrigerate for 30 minutes, or freeze for 10 minutes.
Step 3
Once chilled, roll the pastry thinly on a lightly floured surface. Lift it into the tart tin and press into the edges, leaving any excess hanging over the sides. Prick the base with a fork, line with baking paper, fill with baking beans or uncooked rice, and chill for another 10 minutes.
Step 4
Preheat the oven to 180C.
Step 5
For the filling, add the grapefruit juice and zest to a large saucepan with the sliced ginger. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 minutes. Strain out the ginger and allow the juice to cool.
Step 6
In a heatproof bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, whole eggs, sugar, cornflour, and salt. Place the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water (ensuring it doesn’t touch the water). Gradually pour in the grapefruit juice and whisk for about 15 minutes until it thickens. Add the butter piece by piece while whisking for another 15 minutes until very thick. (If needed, transfer to a pan to thicken gently.) Cover with cling film pressed to the surface and set aside.
Step 7
Remove the pastry from the fridge, set the tin on a baking tray, and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the beans and paper, brush the base with beaten egg, and bake for another 7-10 minutes, until dry and pale golden. Cool in the tin and trim the excess pastry with a sharp knife.
Step 8
For the Italian meringue, heat the sugar and 180ml/6¼fl oz water in a saucepan to make a syrup. Meanwhile, rub the inside of a mixer bowl with lemon juice, add the egg whites, and whisk to stiff peaks. When the sugar syrup reaches 113C, remove from the heat. With the mixer running, slowly pour the syrup down the side of the bowl. Increase speed to high and whisk for 7-9 minutes, until the bowl is cool and the meringue forms stiff peaks.
Step 9
Remove the cling film from the curd and gently reheat if needed. Once warm, pour into the pastry case and smooth the top. Spoon the meringue into a piping bag fitted with a large open star nozzle and pipe elegant swirls over the curd. Finish by browning the meringue with a blowtorch.
Step 10
Serve while the filling is still warm.
Author note
Share the recipe
