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    Home - Pie

    Published: Feb 15, 2016 Β· Modified: Oct 5, 2021 by Amanda Powell Β· This post may contain affiliate links.

    Cape Gooseberry Pie with Mile High Meringue

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This cape gooseberry pie with mile-high meringue is a wonderfully unique pie using cape gooseberries, also known as goldenberries, and physalis. It is sweet with a subtle tart finish from the berries and a Meyer lemon twist. It will be a new family favorite!Β 

    Mile high meringue gooseberry pie. This pie is so delicious and wonderfully unique. A new favorite in our family.

    I have a love/hate relationship with my local produce market. I don't like them because they tend to sell a lot of off-season produce that they get from farms in other countries. What i do love about them is they always have a selection of fun produce that I don't find in many other stores such as guavas, cactus leaves, and physalis. Physalis is also known as cape gooseberry, ground cherry or golden berry and are similar to green gooseberries and tomatillos. Most people in America probably know them as cape gooseberries, but I grew up calling them physalis. I am calling them cape gooseberries for the rest of the post so it is easier for people to understand.

    It's been a while since I last had cape gooseberries, but I loved peeling them from their husks and eating them. Something about it just made me feel cool.

    Mile high meringue gooseberry pie. This pie is so delicious and wonderfully unique. A new favorite in our family.

    The fruit is firm and full of seeds, much like a tomato, but are sweet, with a slight acidic tang. The exact flavor is hard to describe because it is so unique, but I love it paired with Meyer lemons. And because I've been craving a pie piled high with meringue, this seemed like the perfect opportunity. Just look at all that marshmallowy meringue on top of this cape gooseberry pie. It's gorgeous!

    Usually I have a hard time convincing my family to try new things, but it was surprisingly easy to get them to taste my cape gooseberry pie. I think it might have had to do with the fact that I was so excited and borderline demanded that everyone taste my pie. No one complained once that took a bite though. In fact, the entire pie was devoured in a day.

    Mile high meringue gooseberry pie. This pie is so delicious and wonderfully unique. A new favorite in our family.

    A few expert notes on the cape gooseberry pie

    I used a metal pie plate. This affects the baking time. If you use a glass or ceramic pie plate, you will need a longer bake time.

    If you do not have cape gooseberries around, that's okay. This pie works wonderfully as a base for just about any other berry. But cape gooseberries have pectin which makes thickening the mixture easier. You may need more cornstarch if you want to use this as a base for a blueberry or blackberry meringue pie.

    This recipe makes a LOT of meringue. If you don't want a "mile-high" meringue, then you can easily half the recipe without any issues. No matter what you decide, don't whip up the meringue until your pie is out of the oven and already getting cool for the best results. You can also experiment with different flavors you think will complement your cape gooseberries.

    If you don't have Meyer lemons, use regular lemons!

    Mile high meringue gooseberry pie. This pie is so delicious and wonderfully unique. A new favorite in our family.

     

    Mile high meringue gooseberry pie. This pie is so delicious and wonderfully unique. A new favorite in our family.

    Cape Gooseberry Pie with Mile High Meringue

    Amanda Powell
    A delicious and unique cape gooseberry pie
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 35 mins
    Cook Time 1 hr
    Total Time 1 hr 35 mins
    Course pie
    Cuisine American
    Servings 1 9-inch pie
    Calories 454 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    Pie Crust

    • 1 ΒΌ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
    • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
    • Β½ teaspoon salt
    • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter cut in cubes and frozen
    • 3 - 3 Β½ tablespoons ice cold water

    Pie Filling

    • 2 Β½ lbs cape gooseberries
    • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
    • ΒΎ cup granulated sugar
    • ΒΌ teaspoon salt
    • zest and juice of one Meyer lemon
    • Β½ teaspoons vanilla extract

    Meringue Topping

    • 6 egg large egg whites room temperature
    • 1 Β½ cups granulated sugar
    • Β½ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • zest of half a Meyer lemon

    Instructions
     

    Pie Crust

    • Mix together the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl, or a food processor. Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter or a few pulses in the food processor. The mixture should have bits of butter about the size of peas or coarse breadcrumbs.
    • Slowly add the ice cold water a tablespoon at a time. If you are using a food processor, leave it running and you drizzle the water in. The dough should just come together when you press it together. It shouldn't really feel wet to the touch, but not so dry that crumbs keep falling off when you press the dough together.
    • Turn the dough onto plastic wrap and lightly flatten into a disc. Cover and chill for at least an hour (I have the best results when I leave it overnight).
    • Preheat the oven to 340 degrees F. Roll out the dough until it is a large circle about ΒΌ inch in thickness. Place in the center of pie plate and fold in the overhang. Crimp the edges to your desired design. Place pie weight in the middle of the pie (I covered the center of mine in aluminum foil and filled with dried beans). Blind bake for 20 minutes. Remove and allow to cool. Keep the oven on.

    Pie Filling

    • In a saucepan, add the β…” of the cape gooseberries, cornstarch, sugar, salt, zest, and juice of the lemon together along with ΒΌ cup of water. Heat until the berries begin to pop and form a thick syrup - about 15 minutes. Fold in the rest of the berries (you can save a few to garnish the finished pie) and cook just until they begin to pop.
    • Fill the pie crust with the filling. Cover the edges of the pie crust and bake for about 20 - 25 minutes. Allow to cool completely.

    Meringue Topping

    • Place about an inch or two of water into a small saucepan and heat until it is steaming, but not boiling.
    • Put the eggs and granulated sugar into a heatproof mixing bowl and place over the small saucepan. Make sure the mixing bowl does not directly touch the water in the pan. Mix together the egg whites and sugar until well combined and the sugar dissolves. Beat the mixture constantly while it is over the heat to prevent the eggs from cooking.
    • Put the mixing bowl in your stand mixer and use the whisk attachment to beat the egg white mixture until it forms stiff peaks. Add in the vanilla and lemon and beat until combined - about another minute.
    • Place the meringue over the cooled pie and use a spoon to swirl. Use a kitchen torch to toast the meringue.

    Notes

    Best stored at room temperature for up to three days

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1gCalories: 454kcalCarbohydrates: 79gProtein: 8gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 136mgSodium: 225mgFiber: 1gSugar: 51g
    Keyword cape gooseberry, dessert, goldenberry, meringue, pie
    Tried this recipe?Tag me on Instagram! @acookienameddesire #acookienameddesire

     

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    About Amanda Powell

    Baker, photographer, and sometimes world traveler behind A Cookie Named Desire. Obsessed with helping people live life sweetly with delicious food to share with the special people in your life and creating lasting memories.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sabrina says

      February 16, 2016 at 8:33 am

      This pie is gorgeous! I've never had gooseberries, but I'd absolutely love to bake something like this with them!

      Reply
    2. Medha @ Whisk & Shout says

      February 15, 2016 at 11:27 am

      Cape gooseberries sound so intriguing! Love the meyer lemon in the filling too πŸ™‚ This pie is a stunner with all that meringue πŸ™‚

      Reply
    3. June @ How to Philosophize with Cake says

      February 15, 2016 at 10:36 am

      What a cool pie flavor! I've never tried gooseberries (sadly!) but they sound delicious. Especially with all that toasty meringue πŸ™‚

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Amanda! I am the baker and photographer behind A Cookie Named Desire. I'm a world traveler (sometimes) with a major weakness for cookies and cheese. While I'm mostly self-taught, I recently received a degree in Food Science!

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