Fresh Florida Orange Pie

My brother-in-law enjoyed this pie at someone’s home in Florida in the 1960s. He loved it so much he brought the recipe back to me. For almost 50 years, this has been one of my signature dishes.

Crust:

4 large eggs, separated (whites used for crust)

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

1 cup sugar

¼ cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Filling:

4 egg yolks from eggs separated for crust

½ cup sugar

teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon grated orange rind

6 large navel oranges, peeled and sectioned, divided

2 cups heavy whipping cream

To make the crust: Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Butter a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan. In a large bowl beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar. Continue beating until the sugar is completely dissolved, about 5 minutes. Spread the egg whites in the prepared pie pan, making a nest. Sprinkle with the nuts. Bake for 1 ½ hours or until the crust feels dry to the touch.

To make the filling: In the top of a double boiler mix the egg yolks, sugar, salt, lemon juice, and orange rind. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and carefully add of the orange sections. In a medium bowl add the heavy cream and beat with a handheld electric mixer until soft peaks form. Fold ½ of the whipped cream into the filling. Add to the baked pie shell. Top the pie with the remaining whipped cream. Garnish with the remaining orange sections. Refrigerate for 4 hours.

Makes 1 pie or 8 servings.