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Kat's Sour Orange Pie

1 cup granulated sugar
5 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
2 teaspoons grated sour orange peel, or 1 teaspoon each grated lemon and orange peel
1 1/2 cups fresh sour orange juice, strained, or 1 cup orange juice and 1/2 cup lemon juice
4 egg yolks, beaten
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
9-inch baked pastry shell

Meringue:

4 egg whites
1 teaspoon sour orange or lemon juice
1/2 cup superfine sugar

Whisk together half the granulated sugar, the cornstarch and the salt. Add the water, grated peel and juice, and whisk until smooth. In a saucepan, bring the mixture to the boil over moderate heat, stirring constantly until it begins to thicken. Remove from the heat.
With an electric mixer, beat together the remaining 1/2 cup of granulated sugar and the egg yolks until light in color. Beat in 1/2 cup of the hot sugar-juice mixture, and add all of the yolk mixture to the contents of the saucepan. Stir over moderate heat until thick. Take care that the mixture does not boil. Remove from heat, stir in butter, and pour the filling into the pie shell. Let cool. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Meanwhile, make the meringue topping. Beat the egg whites and the teaspoon of juice to soft peaks. Gradually beat in the superfine sugar, beating until stiff peaks form and all the sugar has dissolved. (Test with your fingers.) Spread the meringue over the filling, touching the edge of the pie shell. This will prevent shrinkage.

Bake 12 to 15 minutes, until the meringue is golden brown. Cool thoroughly before serving.

I have always known that at last I would take this road, but yesterday I did not know that it would be today.

- Narihara