Orange Meringue Pie

  
 This is a nice change on our standard pie recipe.
It is not what I would call inexpensive unless you make it when oranges are in season, not like I do in the middle of winter, but it is such a sunny pie to make when it’s cold outside. It takes 6 medium oranges (usually) if you use navel oranges. Sometimes our store has Valencia oranges which are a juice orange and then it will take less.
 I used the meringue recipe from the Cooking from Quilt Country instead of the meringue recipe listed here. Theirs is a 3 egg meringue so you will have a lot of meringue for the top and might need to bake it about 20 minutes instead of 15.

Orange Meringue Pie

¾ cup sugar

¼ cup cornstarch

¼ teaspoon salt

1 ½ cups orange juice

2 slightly beaten egg yolks

1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon grated orange
peel optional
1 baked 8 inch pie shell

2 egg whites

¼ cup sugar
Meringue topping

In saucepan combine ¾ cup sugar, cornstarch, and slat. Slowly stir in juice. Cook and stir till thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat,. Cook 1 minute more; remove from heat. Stir small amount of hot mixture into yolks; return to hot mixture. Cook and stir 2 minutes more. Stir in margarine and peel. Pour in to pie shell.

  Beat egg whites to soft peaks. Slowly beat in ¼ cup sugar to stiff peaks; spread over hot filling, sealing edges. Bake at 400° for 7 to 9 minutes. Cool on rack.