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Cranberry Meringue Pie

Close up of a slice of cranberry pie showing the bright red curd filling and the toasted meringue topping.
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Sweet, tangy, and topped with a billowy, toasted meringue, this cranberry meringue pie is sure to be the showstopper of your Thanksgiving dessert table.

  • Author: Claire Coffey
  • Prep Time: 35 minutes
  • Cook Time: 40 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Yield: 10 slices 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the pie:

  • 1 sheet pie dough
  • 1 egg
  • 12 oz fresh cranberries
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp orange zest
  • 1/2 cup orange juice (about one orange)
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 3 tbsp cornstarch
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter

For the meringue:

  • 5 egg whites
  • 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Place your sheet of pie dough into a 9" pie pan. Prick the bottom with a fork.
  2. Press a sheet of aluminum foil into the pie dough and up the sides to hold it in place. Fill with pie weights.
  3. If using a store bought crust, follow the directions on the box for baking a single pie shell, then skip to step 9. Follow steps 4-8 for homemade crust.
  4. Bake at 425F for 15 minutes.
  5. In a small bowl, whisk the egg with a few teaspoons of water to create an egg wash.
  6. Remove the pie crust from the oven, remove the weights and aluminum foil, and brush the center and sides with the egg wash.
  7. Return the crust to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes.
  8. Reduce the temperature to 375F and continue baking for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.
  9. In a medium size pot, combine the cranberries, sugar and orange zest + juice.
  10. Cook over medium heat until all the cranberries have burst (about 10 minutes).
  11. Pour the cranberry mixture into a blend or food processor and blend until smooth.
  12. Pour the cranberry puree through a fine mesh sieve back into the pot, using a spatula to work it through.
  13. In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and cornstarch.
  14. Pour about a half cup of the cranberry puree into the egg mixture, whisking constantly.
  15. Whisking vigorously, pour this mixture back into the pot of cranberry puree.
  16. Stirring constantly, cook over medium heat until the mixture thickens to a pudding-like consistency (about 5 minutes).
  17. Remove from heat and stir in the butter until completely incorporated.
  18. Pour the filling into the cooled pie crust and set aside to firm up.
  19. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the egg whites and sugar for the meringue.
  20. Place over a pot of boiling water and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is hot and the sugar has dissolved.
  21. Return the bowl to the stand mixer and whip to soft peaks.
  22. Add the vanilla and whip to combine.
  23. Spoon the meringue onto the top of the pie and toast using a kitchen torch.

Notes

    • If the rim of your pie crust is browning too quickly/too much, you can cover it with a pie shield or aluminum foil to keep it from browning further.

    • How to keep the meringue from sliding off: Ideally, you'll want to add the meringue to the top of the filling while it's still warm, which will help the two bind. If this isn't the case, you can cover the pie with a piece of parchment paper (not plastic wrap) pressed against the filling. This will keep a skin from developing and will give the meringue something to stick to.

    • Working ahead: While this pie refrigerates well, the meringue does not. If you want to work ahead, you can make the pie up the meringue, press a piece plastic wrap or parchment onto the surface of the filling, and then add the meringue shortly before serving.

    • Storage: This pie, sans meringue, can be kept in the refrigerator, covered in plastic wrap, for up to 4 days. Once the meringue has been added, this pie should still be stored in the refrigerator but it's best eaten within a day.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://thesimple-sweetlife.com/cranberry-meringue-pie/