Orange Meringue Pie

I keep forgetting that I have a tree full of oranges.  I'm used to picking lemons, but the oranges are a bit of a reach and I don't look up there.

So why aren't orange pies a thing?  I found a recipe for an orange chiffon pie in the Bible, but it looks like it has to be consumed within 24 hours.  Aside from that, no one really does orange desserts without gelatin.  I'm not anti-gelatin, just currently out of it.  I did have a graham cracker crust in the pantry and extra eggs, so, meringue.

The Bible has this variation of lemon meringue in the margins, along with a pineapple one that I'm likely to skip.  Not really into pineapples in pie or cake.

1/4 C cornstarch
1/3 C sugar + 1/4 C for meringue
1/4 C water
2 Tb lemon juice
*grated zest of one orange
*1C orange juice
1 Tb butter
3 eggs, room temperature, separated
1/4 tsp salt, divided
*1 8" pre baked pie crust (flour or graham)

1.  In saucepan, combine cornstarch, 1/3 C sugar, and 1/8 tsp salt.  Add water, lemon juice, zest, and orange juice.  Stir to combine until there are no clumps.

2.  Heat mixture over medium to boiling, stirring frequently.  Mixture will gel and  clump.  Remove from heat.

3.  Whisk egg yolks until smooth.  Add a generous spoonful of hot filling and stir briskly.  Add another spoonful and stir again.  Pour tempered eggs back into the pot and return to medium heat.  Stir until thickened but not boiling.  Stir in butter until melted.  Pour into prepared pie pan.

4.  Preheat oven to 400º.  Beat egg whites with 1/8 tsp salt until foamy.  Gradually add in 1/4 C sugar and continue to beat to firm peaks.  Spread over pie, making sure to cover the crust edges.  Bake until golden, about 10 minutes.  Cool to room temperature, then chill until serving.

Makes one pie, about 8 servings

Difficulty rating  :)