An orange meringue pie is a retro classic and what I love about this pie is that it takes just a few simple ingredients and a little bit of effort to make a really elegant pie.
Ingredients:
1 (9 inch/23 cm) unbaked pie crust or ready-made pie
¾ cup sugar
⅓ cup cornstarch
1 pinch salt
1 cup orange juice
½ cup lemon juice
¼ cup water
4 eggs, separated
4 tablespoons butter or margarine, cut into pieces
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
½ cup diced orange segments
½ cup white sugar
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
How To Make Orange Meringue Pie:
Step 1 – Crust (skip this step if using a ready-made pie)
Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C). Line pastry with aluminum foil and a layer of pie weights or dried beans. Bake in the preheated oven until edge of crust is golden, about 10 minutes. Carefully remove the foil and weights; bake about 5 minutes more.
Step 2 – Filling
In a small saucepan, stir together the ¾ cup sugar, 1/3 cup cornstarch, and salt. Mix in the orange juice, lemon juice, and water. Whisk in the egg yolks. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until thick and bubbly, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in butter and orange zest. If desired; stir in diced orange segments. Pour into prepared pie crust, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside to cool.
Step 3 – Meringue
When pie filling has cooled to room temperature, preheat oven and prepare meringue. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). In a large glass or metal bowl, beat egg whites until foamy. Gradually add ½ cup sugar and cream of tartar, continuing to beat until stiff peaks form. Lift your beater or whisk straight up: the egg whites should form a sharp peak that holds its shape. Spread over pie, making sure the meringue completely covers the filling and meets the edges of the pie crust.
Step 4
Bake in preheated oven until meringue topping is golden brown, about 15 minutes.
