PINEAPPLE MACADAMIA NUT MERINGUE PIES

Steps:

• Make pastry:
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Toast nuts in 1 layer in a shallow baking pan in oven, stirring once or twice, until golden, about 5 minutes. Cool completely in pan on a rack. Coarsely chop 1/4 cup nuts and set aside.
• Pulse flour, sugar, salt, and remaining 1/2 cup nuts in a food processor until nuts are finely chopped, then add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add egg and process until dough begins to come together into a ball but is still crumbly. Form dough into a ball with your hands. Press about 1 tablespoon dough evenly over bottom and up side of each pie plate. Chill shells until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Lightly prick bottoms and sides of chilled pie shells all over with a fork.
• Bake until edges are golden and bottoms are pale golden, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Cool completely in pans on racks. Loosen edges of shells carefully with offset spatula, then carefully remove shells from pans and transfer to a shallow baking pan. Sprinkle chopped nuts into bottoms of shells. Leave oven on.
• Make filling:
• Simmer butter, pineapple, brown sugar, and lemon juice in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until most of liquid is evaporated and pineapple is slightly translucent, about 10 minutes.
• Cool slightly, then spoon a heaping tablespoon of filling into each shell.
• Make meringue topping:
• Beat whites with cream of tartar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until they just hold soft peaks. Gradually beat in sugar and beat until meringue holds stiff, glossy peaks. Spoon about 2 tablespoons meringue over filling of each pie, covering filling completely and sealing meringue to pastry.
• Draw meringue up into small peaks and bake until tops are golden in spots, about 5 minutes.
• Cool pies on racks, about 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.