Passionfruit and Lemon Meringue Slice – Keke Kōhia, Rēmana Me Te Tāhungahunga.
I am so excited to share this slice. I saw this combination in the cabinet of a bakery and although I never actually tried it, I knew exactly how I wanted my slice to come together. I drew inspiration from the base and coconut meringue from my louise slice recipe. I also used the simple technique used in my lime pie to create the creamy passionfruit and lemon centre. The first trial was too sweet for my liking but with a few simple tweaks, we have success. The base is buttery with a background of kokonati (coconut), the creamy kahitete (custard) has pops of kōhia māota (fresh passionfruit) and rēmana (lemon). We then finish it off with a lightly sweetened coconut meringue which has a slight crunch to it. What more can I say? Let’s make this deliciousness!
Passionfruit and Lemon Meringue Slice – Keke Kōhia, Rēmana Me Te Tāhungahunga.
A dreamy slice with a coconut buttery base, a creamy passionfruit and lemon filling with a crispy coconut meringue topping.
Servings 16 pieces
Ingredients
- 150 g pata kūteretere (softened butter)
- ¼ C huka one (caster sugar)
- 2 tōhua hēki (egg yolks, reserve the egg whites for the meringue topping)
- 1 tsp wanira (vanilla)
- He kini tote – a pinch of salt
- ¼ C puehu kānga (cornflour)
- ½ C kokonati pūtī (desiccated coconut)
- ¾ C puehu parāoa noa (plain flour)
The Passionfruit and Lemon Custard – Te Kahitete Kōhia me te Rēmana
- Kiri rēmana (lemon zest, of 2 lemons)
- ½ C wai rēmana (lemon juice, from approximately 2 lemons )
- 1 kēna miraka reka (can of condensed milk)
- 2 hēki (eggs, size 7)
- 3 kōhia māota (fresh passionfruit, ⅓ C of flesh in total). If you don't have fresh you can use ⅓ C of frozen passionfruit but defrost it before using.
- He kini tote – a pinch of salt
The Coconut Meringue – Te Tāhungahuna Kokonati
- 2 kahu hēki (egg whites, reserved from the base)
- ½ tsp kirīmi tāta (cream of tartar)
- ½ C huka one (caster sugar)
- 1 C kokonati pūtī (desiccated coconut)
Instructions
Biscuit Layer – Paparanga Pihikete
- Pre-heat the oven to 170 °C.
- Line a 20 x 25 cm tin with high sides with baking paper.
- Add pata kūteretere (softened butter) and huka one (caster sugar) to a medium bowl. Whip on high for 4-5 minutes. The mixture should be a pale colour and fluffy in texture.
- Add in the tōhua hēki (egg yolks), wanira (vanilla) and tote (salt). Whip for another minute on high. Reserve the kahu hēki (egg whites) for the topping.
- Add the puehu kānga (cornflour), kokonati (coconut) and puehu parāoa (flour). Fold together with a spatula until it all comes together.
- Add into the prepared tin, press it evenly with your hands or a spatula.
- Bake for 20 minutes until it is golden and remove from the oven.
- Pull the cooked base from the oven, using a spoon press the base to the edge of the tin and gently flatten it out. This helps stop any of the filling from going down the sides of the tin. Leave to the side as you prepare the filling.
The Passionfruit and Lemon Custard – Te Kahitete Kōhia me te Rēmana
- Reduce the heat to 140 °C before baking the filling, this helps create a smooth, creamy kahitete (custard).
- Finely zest the kiri rēmana (lemon zest) in to a large bowl. Juice the rēmana to equal ½ cup and add it to the bowl. Give the rēmana (lemon) a hard rub on the bench to help release the juice before juicing.
- Pour in the miraka kukū (condensed milk) and stir with a whisk until it is all combined.
- Add a hēki (egg) at a time and whisk for 10 seconds between each addition.
- Scoop out the flesh of the kōhia (passionfruit) to measure ⅓ cup and stir it through the mixture.
- Bake for 22 minutes. The mixture will be a little bit wobbly but it will set a little bit more as it cools. Remove it from the oven and set aside.
- Turn the heat back up to 170 °C. Make the tāhungahunga (meringue).
The Coconut Meringue – Te Tāhungahuna Kokonati
- Add the kahu hēki (egg whites) that you reserved from making the base, in to a medium bowl. Add the kirīmi tāta (cream of tartar).
- Using an electric hand mixer, whip the kahu hēki (egg whites) on medium until you get soft peaks.
- Add the huka one (caster sugar) a tablespoon at a time as you continue to whip on medium speed for around 5 minutes.
- Once you have incorporated all of the huka one (caster sugar), whip for another minute or so until the meringue is thick and glossy.
- Fold through the kokonati pūtī (desiccated coconut). Very gently dollop the coconut meringue on top of the kahitete (custard) and then spread it out to cover the whole slice.
- Return to the 170 °C oven and bake for 25 minutes.
- Remove this delicious slice from the oven. You can eat scoop it out with a spoon and eat it warm as a dessert. I prefer to cool it completely for clean slicing and spoon over fresh kōhia (passionfruit) to give it a brightness to every bite.
- Keep this slice in a sealed container in a cooled place.
This slice was easy to make and super delicious. The filling reminded me of a lemon pie my Nana used to make. Will definitely be making this again.
Thank you so much for your amazing feedback Jennifer, that makes me so happy that it reminds you of a slice made by your Nana, that is special!