Berry pie with meringue on top

Prepare the dough. You will need hard butter, so put it in the freezer for about half an hour. Grate the cold butter into a large bowl.

Sift the flour and soda through a fine sieve and add to the grated butter. Using a fork or your hands, grind the mixture into small crumbs. Try to mix the flour and butter quickly enough to prevent the butter from melting.

Carefully separate the yolks from the whites. Leave the whites on the counter to warm up to room temperature - they will be needed for the meringue. Add the yolks, powdered sugar and sour cream to the bowl with the butter crumbs and quickly knead the dough. You should have a soft dough that does not stick to your hands.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Grease a round mold with a diameter of 28-30 cm or another similar area with butter and sprinkle with a small amount of flour. By tilting the pan and tapping the sides, spread the flour over the entire surface and shake off the excess.

Roll out the dough into a layer 1 cm thick. Place in the mold, leaving the sides. Gently press into the corners to prevent too thick a layer of dough in them. Prick the dough frequently with a fork. Place the pan with the dough in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.

Sort through the berries, remove sepals, twigs and leaves. Place them in a colander and rinse with cold water. Lay out a few paper towels on your work surface, scatter the berries in a thin layer and let dry.

Place the pan with the dough on the middle rack of the oven and bake the pie crust for 20 minutes. The dough should brown slightly and become crispy. Remove the pan from the oven.

While the pie base is baking, prepare the filling. Combine the whites with powdered sugar and start beating with a mixer at medium speed. When the powdered sugar is completely combined with the whites, increase the speed to high. Beat the whites into a dense snow-white mass. This will take approximately 4-5 minutes.

Place the prepared berries in a bowl with whipped egg whites. Mix gently with a silicone or wooden spatula. Try not to deform the berries so that they do not release juice.

Reduce oven heat to 150 degrees. Spread the protein-berry filling on the baked crust. Smooth the surface with a spatula or apply abstract patterns with a spoon that will decorate the pie.

Return the pie pan to the oven. Continue baking the pie for another 10-15 minutes. The meringue should become creamy and slightly hardened on top, remaining soft and chewy on the inside.

Remove the cake from the oven and leave to cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes. Carefully transfer to a flat plate and cut into portions. Serve the cooled pie with tea or coffee.