ORANGE PIE

One day I had set out to make Key lime pie, only to discover I didn’t have enough limes on hand. But there were plenty of oranges in the bottom drawer of my refrigerator, so I made an even trade, orange for green. The pie was not as tart, of course, but still lush and creamy. It was so good I made it again, this time topping it with a mound of orange-flavored whipped cream studded with vanilla bean seeds. In January and February, I like to make it with blood oranges; their tart juice adds a little different flavor. makes 6 to 8 servings

CRUST

1½ cups (150 g) graham cracker crumbs (or 11 whole graham crackers pulsed in a food processor)

3 tablespoons sugar

5 tablespoons (72 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

FILLING

4 large egg yolks

2 tablespoons heavy cream

½ cup orange juice

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon salt

One 14-ounce can (396 g) sweetened condensed milk

1 to 2 drops orange food coloring (optional)

WHIPPED CREAM

4 ounces (113 g) cream cheese, room temperature

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons triple sec

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped (optional)

Pinch salt

1½ cups heavy cream

FOR THE CRUST: Adjust an oven rack to the middle position. Preheat the oven to 325°F.

In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Add the butter and stir until well blended. Using a measuring cup or spoon, press the crumbs evenly on the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake 12 to 15 minutes, until lightly browned and fragrant.

Transfer the pie pan to a wire rack and let cool slightly.

FOR THE FILLING: In a large bowl, whisk the yolks, heavy cream, orange juice, lemon juice, vanilla, salt, and sweetened condensed milk until smooth and fully combined. Add the food coloring, if using, and whisk until evenly incorporated.

Pour the filling into the warm pie crust and return the pie plate to the oven. Bake 14 to 17 minutes, until the center is set but still a bit wiggly when jiggled.

Transfer the pie plate to a wire rack and let cool completely. Refrigerate until well chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight. Before serving, top it with the orange whipped cream.

FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat the cream cheese on medium until smooth. Add the sugar, triple sec, vanilla, orange zest, vanilla bean seeds, and salt. Beat on low until combined, then increase the speed to medium and beat until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and switch to the whisk. With the mixer running on low, slowly add the heavy cream and whisk until fully combined. Increase the speed to medium and beat until stiff peaks form, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed, 2 to 3 minutes.

NOTE: If you are using blood oranges, you may need to use 1 or 2 drops of orange food coloring because the purple juice will make the filling look an odd color when baked.