- Yield: 8 servings
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
Caribbean Papaya Panama Pie
Bake a papaya pie as a Panamanian would. Split the duties up into 2 days, because when chopped and refrigerated overnight, Caribbean Red® and Solo papayas will make a little juice on their own. It adds so much more to the pie in two ways. One, instead of requiring more of a liquid such as milk, the pie readily takes advantage of the papaya's sweet juice. Two, when the completed pie is refrigerated topped with papaya pieces, the papaya again will produce a little juice that will beautifully pool in drops among the meringue's folds.
Tortilla piecrusts? You eat so many pies during the holidays that piecrusts may become ho-hum. Try a little different piecrust with this Panamanian favorite. In the Latino foods section of your grocery store, look for tortillas that are already formed into bowls. These tortillas will create the crust for this pie.
Ingredients
- non-fat cooking spray
- 8 standing soft flour tortillas
- Papaya filling
- 1/2 Caribbean Red papaya or 2 Solo papayas (about 2)
- 1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
- 4 egg yolks
- 3 limes
- Brown sugar meringue
- 4 egg whites
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
Instructions
The day before
- Peel the Caribbean Red papaya, discard the seeds and cut into small pieces. Store pieces and juice in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.
Baking day
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Spray a large cookie sheet with cooking spray.
- Place the tortillas on the cookie sheet.
- Spread all but 1/4 cup of papaya pieces on the bottom of the tortillas.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the condensed milk and egg yolks. Add the juice of 3 limes.
- Ladle mixture into tortillas. A tortilla or two may not stand straight enough to hold the filling. Use crumpled pieces of foil under these tortillas to even them out. Layer a sheet of foil over the tops of the tortillas.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until a knife comes out clean in the center. Remove from the oven and let cool about 30 minutes.
Meringue topping
- Preheat oven again to 350° F.
- In a large bowl, add egg whites, vanilla, cream of tartar and brown sugar. With a blender on medium speed, blend until soft peaks form.
- Top the cooled papaya Panama pie tortillas with the meringue.
- Bake for 15 minutes. Let cool, then top with the remaining papaya pieces.
- Cool; refrigerate for 2 hours.