Mango pie with meringue and candied chili peppers

Ingredients:

Cake and topping

• 1 and 3/4 cups sugar
• Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime
• 1 red jalapeño, thinly sliced
• 1 1/3 cups crushed vanilla wafer cookies (about 40)
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Filling and meringue

• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 sachet (7 g) gelatin powder
• 2 ripe mangoes, peeled and cut into pieces (or 2 cups thawed mango pieces)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1.5 tsp salt
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• Whites of 5 large eggs

Preparation:

1. Topping:
   
   Combine 1 cup sugar, lime zest, lime juice, and 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the jalapeño slices, reduce heat to medium, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let the jalapeños cool in the syrup for at least 1 hour.
2. Strain the syrup and set the peppers aside. Sprinkle 1/2 cup sugar on a small plate. Roll half the jalapeño slices, one at a time, in the sugar until they are thinly coated. Set the remaining jalapeño slices aside. Let the candied jalapeño pieces dry and harden, at least 4 hours or overnight.
3. Cake:
   
   Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). In a food processor, pulse the remaining 1/4 cup sugar with two uncoated jalapeño slices. Add the crushed cookies and butter and pulse until smooth. Pour the mixture into a 9-inch (22 cm) pie pan and press evenly into the bottom and up the sides. Bake until golden brown, 12-14 minutes. Transfer the cake to a wire rack to cool completely.
4. Filling:
   
   Combine the orange juice and gelatin in a small microwave-safe bowl and set aside to soften the gelatin, about 5 minutes. Puree the mango in a blender until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the reserved jalapeño syrup, vanilla extract, and 1 teaspoon of salt and blend until smooth.
5. Microwave the juice and gelatin mixture until hot, about 30 seconds. Stir to dissolve the gelatin, then pour it into the mango mixture in a blender and blend until fully incorporated.
6. Strain the mango mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, then spoon it over the cooled crust. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the filling to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until completely set, at least 6 hours or overnight.
7. Meringue:
   
   In a large heatproof bowl, combine the sugar, cornstarch, cream of tartar, egg whites, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Place the bowl over a medium saucepan of simmering water (the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water) and heat in a double boiler, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves and the whites are hot to the touch, 3-4 minutes. Remove the bowl from the boiler and beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes.
8. Finely chop the remaining jalapeño slices without the sugar coating and combine in a small bowl with a large spoonful of meringue. Add to the remaining meringue and whisk until combined. Transfer the meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a large open star tip. Pipe the meringue over the top of the cake to create a peaked dome. Lightly toast the meringue with a blowtorch and garnish with candied jalapeño rings.