A month into fall and we’re just barely creeping out of the summer weather zone here, deep down in southern Mississippi. After months of oppressive heat, it is finally nice enough to reasonably expect to spend some time outside. And I am slowly acclimating myself to that new reality, five or ten minutes at a time, in an old rocking chair Troy has set out for me in a shady spot of our backyard.

This summer was the longest summer that I have ever known, and I am eager to break away from it and move on to things that are a bit more my speed. Like pie — this pie. This pie that reminds me of fall and New England and everything that I miss in my life.

I’ve said it before and here I am saying it again — let there be pie.

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Cranberry Meringue Pie, aka “Cranberry Dream Pie” from Allison Kave’s First Prize Pies.

Ingredients:

1 pie crust (I went for simple and used a store-bought Pillsbury roll-out, but feel free to use your favorite recipe)
1 cup plus 1/4 cup sugar (*see note)
4 cups fresh cranberries (about a pound)
3 large eggs, separated into yolks and whites
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Method:

Preheat the oven to 425 degree. Roll the pie crust into a 9-inch pie plate, pressing the dough to fit on the plate and then crimping the edges decoratively. Puncture the dough several times with a fork to prevent bubbles while baking. Bake the pie shell according to the directions on the box (about 12 minutes).

Make the filling by putting 1 cup sugar and 1 cup of water over high heat until the sugar dissolves fully. Lower the heat to medium-high, add the cranberries, and stir and cook them for about 10 minutes. The mixture will be slightly thicker than how it was when you started. Allow the cranberries to cool slightly and then whisk together the 3 egg yolks, cornstarch, and salt in a small bowl until very smooth. Temper the yolks (ie, don’t make scrambled eggs!) by adding the cooked cranberries about a tablespoon at a time to the yolk mixture and whisking well until combined. Do this until you have added about 1/3 of a cup of cranberries to the yolks and then you should be free to add the yolks to the remaining cranberries without any problems. Add the vanilla extract and the butter.

To make the topping, whip the 3 egg whites and cream of tartar with a stand or hand mixer until you have soft peaks. Slowly add the 1/4 cup sugar until the meringue is glossy and stiff.

Pour the cranberries into the baked pie crust then top with the meringue and fluff with a spoon. Using a kitchen torch, broil the meringue for a minute or two to brown. Chill and serve.

*note: The original recipe calls for 1 cup of sugar (for the cranberry base) and 1/4 cup of superfine sugar (for the meringue). I didn’t have superfine sugar, so I just substituted granulated sugar and it turned out fine. I suppose powdered sugar might also work.