Yuzu Got Big Hair Pie (You want pies with that?)

Yuzu Citrus Meringue Pie
(aka Yuzu Got Big Hair Pie)

I've joined a fun monthly baking group, You Want Pies With That? We don't work on one recipe, but one theme for the month. This month: FASHION!

I'm no fashion diva so I spent a lot of time thinking about this one! I went through all the Project Runway seasons and was pulling my hair out when it came to me! Hair Fashion!

You may not have the money to buy a new wardrobe, but armed with a curling iron, hairdryer, ozone depleting hairspray and a scrunchy, you can change your look every day!

Captain and President of the Big Hair Club.
Inspiration from Sherry Yard and Rod Stewart!

I was inspired by an absolutely beautiful pie in Sherry Yard's book, Desserts by the Yard. Sherry is the pastry chef at Wolfgang Puck's Spago restaurant. She made a stunning "Yuzu Lemon-Lime Meringue Pie". Her pie has a pre-baked shell, Yuzu saboyan and brown sugar Italian meringue. Her pie is served warm, and since I was going to bring it into work, I opted for different technique.

Spiky Hair. A favorite of teenage boys with lots of hair product and some librarians.

What's Yuzu fruit? Yuzu is a specialized Japanese lemon-lime citrus fruit. I haven't seen it in markets, but Sherry says she gets it at Farmer's Markets (probably the Wednesday Santa Monica market where all the top chefs go). I picked up bottled yuzu at the Japanese market. Sherry says the Yuzu fruit is expensive, and the small bottle was $8!

I made Dorie Greenspan's tart shell recipe, adapted Martha Stewart's lemon curd using 1/2 c of Yuzu juice plus 2 T of fresh Meyer lemon juice, and finally, I made Martha Stewart's Swiss Meringue topping to create my "hair."

This is my dreadlock pie.
Yeah, man.

(Actually, my meringue got weird and came out a bit strange. I mixed it up some more and the other one came out more like Sherry Yard's inspiration.)

And my favorite "appliance" in the kitchen is the blow torch. I torched the meringue to give the "hair" some highlights!

As Rod Stewart says, "Do Yuzu Think I'm Sexy?"

Join the club! Check out You Want Pies With That?