Orange Meringue Pie

By Kathryn Washburn Breighner


This pie was a first for me. I love pies and love baking/making them. But I tend to favor fruit pies where I can highlight whatever fruit is in season. I am not a fan of "foofy" pies-those with lots of ingredients that are like a dessert in a crust. Justin Rashid, founder of American Spoon Foods, once said of my pies that in them, you can taste the pure fruit.

But I tried something new today. And, oh, was it good. And will be repeated. This is citrus season so I used navel oranges for this delicious pie. While I have made various cream pies, this is the first orange one for me. The orange flavor was very subtle. This is a thick and creamy pie.

What you'll need:

1 baked pie crust, cooled

For the filling:

2 c sugar
3/4 c corn starch
1/2 t salt
2 T freshly grated orange zest
3 1/2 c fresh orange juice
2 T fresh lemon juice
3 T butter, softened
5 large eggs, beaten lightly

Mix together the dry ingredients in a saucepan then whisk in the zest and 1/2 of the orange juice and the lemon juice and cook over medium heat, whisking, until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and whisk in the butter until it is melted. Add the remaining orange juice and eggs and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for 2-5 minutes until the mixture is smooth and fairly thick--you should still be able to move the mixture with the whisk. Force the mixture through a sieve into a bowl--quickly as this will thicken during this process. The difference between the mixture before and after going through the sieve will be very dramatic: the results will be creamy and shiny. Pour the mixture into the pie shell and cool completely.

For the meringue:
3 egg whites at room temperature
1 t cream of tartar
1/3 c sugar
1/2 t vanilla

Beat the egg whites on low speed until they are frothy. Add the cream of tartar and beat at medium speed until the whites hold soft peaks. Gradually add the sugar and vanilla and increase the speed to high and beat until the meringue holds stiff peaks. Spread the meringue on the pie mixture and bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes until golden brown. Chill completely for several hours.