Louises Pastry

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: 1
Spiciness: 0
Number of Servings: 12

A delightful New Zealand pastry made from crumbly dough, jam, and coconut meringue that will win you over in an instant.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Line a small rectangular baking dish (20 x 30 cm) with baking paper.
In a bowl, cream together the softened butter and sugar. Gradually mix in the egg yolks, one at a time, into the butter mixture. Add the vanilla extract.
In another bowl, sift the flour and baking powder. Add the salt and mix the dry ingredients well. Add the dry mixture to the egg yolk-butter mixture and stir well with a spoon until you get a smooth and uniform dough.
Transfer the dough to the baking dish, spread it evenly over the entire surface, and smooth the top. Prick it with a fork in several places and spread the jam on top. If desired, mix 1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice into the jam.
Beat the egg whites into stiff peaks, then add the sugar. Continue mixing until the mixture becomes smooth, firm, and glossy. First, mix in the cornstarch into the beaten egg whites, then add the coconut flour.
Spread the meringue evenly over the jam-covered dough. Bake the pastry in the lower third of the oven for about 30 minutes, until the meringue turns a light golden brown and sets.
Before cutting the pastry into pieces, let it cool in the baking dish. Once cooled, remove it from the dish using the baking paper and cut it into pieces of your desired size.