Sour Orange and Lemon Pie

Seville Orange and Lemon make for an intensely flavourful, wonderfully rich dessert. The chocolate Graham wafer crust and fluffy meringue topping don't hurt either.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, North American

Keyword chocolate graham wafer crust, florida orange pie, orange meringue pie, sour orange pie

Prep Time 1

Cook Time 25

Resting Time 6

Total Time 7 25

Servings people

Calories 412kcal

Ingredients

Crust

1.75 cups graham cracker crumbs (pulverize whole graham crackers with a rolling pin or in a food processor for the freshest results)
10 tbsp butter (1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons , or 140 g)
5 tbsp granulated sugar (62 g)
10 tbsp cocoa powder unsweetened (70 g, or 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp)

Filling

4 egg yolks
1/2 cup seville orange juice (approx. 3-4 oranges, depending on size and juiciness)
1/2 cup lemon juice (freshly squeezed, approx. 4 small lemons)
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tbsp seville orange zest (approx. 1 orange, see note)
1 tbsp lemon zest (approx. 1 lemon, see note)
1.25 cups sweetened condensed milk (one 300 ml/14 oz can)

Meringue

4 egg whites
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
pinch salt

Instructions

Crust

In a food processor, combine the graham cracker crumbs, cocoa powder, and sugar.
Melt the butter and add it to the crumb mixture slowly while mixing to combine.
Firmly press the mixture into a 9 inch pie dish. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

Filling

Preheat oven to 350° F (177° C).
Combine the orange juice, lemon juice, and sugar in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil on the stove top, then reduce heat and simmer until the mixture reaches a syrupy consistency (the final volume should be about 3/4 cup). Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
If you haven't done so yet, separate the egg yolks and whites. Set the whites aside for use in the meringue.
In a large bowl, combine the egg yolks and citrus zest. Using a hand (or stand) mixer with a whisk attachment, whip the eggs for 4-5 minutes, or until they look airy and fluffy.
Slowly add the sweetened condensed milk to the eggs, mixing to combine. Whip for a further 2-3 minutes, until the mixture looks thick and somewhat airy.
Using the lowest setting on the mixture, combine in the reserved syrup until the filling mixture is just combined.
Pour the filling into the pie crust and bake for about 15 minutes. The filling should be well-set, but will still jiggle a little. The edge of the filling should be puffed up and slightly browned. If you're not sure whether or not the filling is set, check the center with a toothpick; if it's gooey, bake a little longer. Once baked, allow the pie to cool slightly while preparing the meringue. Leave the oven on.

Meringue

In a large bowl, combine the egg whites and the cream of tartar. Using the (clean) mixer with whisk attachment, beat the eggs into firm peaks.
Slowly add the sugar while beating the meringue, until well-combined.
Spread (or pipe) the meringue onto the the top of the pie crust, making sure to reach the edges.
Raise the oven temperature to 400 F, then bake the pie for an additional 5-7 minutes with the door slightly ajar. The meringue should be toasty and lightly golden. Watch this step very carefully, as meringue can burn easily.
Set the pie to cool on a counter for 4 hours, or if necessary, in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Cooling in the refrigerator will help set the filling a bit more, but makes the meringue more likely to soften.

Notes

Crust
The crust can be made up to a day in advance and kept in the refrigerator. It can also be frozen in a well-sealed bag and kept for 2-3 months. You may find that this recipe makes amore crust mix than you want (unless you like a very thick crust) so consider freezing the remaining crumb-mix as is for later use, or make a few small tart/pie crusts to use with cheesecake, lime curd, etc.

Zest
If you have a good microplane, you can use that to zest the fruit. However, I prefer not to use a box grater, as it's tough to control how thick the gratings are, and a lot of citrus oil gets left on the grater. Instead, use a vegetable peeler to carefully peel off the coloured layer of zest, avoiding the bitter white pith below. Then, thinly sliced and finely chop the zest. You'll end up with tiny little bits of zest that add a lot of flavour and little punches of colour in the filling.

Meringue
Meringue can be a bit tricky, but there are a few tricks to help make the process easier. If possible, use room-temperature egg whites. Do not apply meringue to a cold pie, as this increases the risk of weeping (water collecting between the pie and the meringue). Try to spread the meringue all the way around the pie, touching all of the crust, as this will help prevent the meringue from shrinking. Small beads may form on the surface of the meringue if it is overcooked slightly, so try to watch the cook time as carefully as you can. The key to toasting the meringue (but not overcooking it) is to use a high temperature for a short period of time.

Storage
Serve the pie as quickly as possible after it's cooled, as the meringue will be at its best early on. If you have to store leftovers (hah!), cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. The meringue will probably soften and get a bit spongy, but it will still taste good.

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