Orange, Lemon & Pomegranate Pie

Tell me you like pie.

Better yet, tell me you like pie topped in mounds of meringue. Do you? Do you need some inspiration?

I am here to deliver.

Pomegranate and Citrus Pie, topped off with a glorious Marshmallow Meringue.

It was my intent to make a simple lemon tart. I was craving one, after all. And then my mind turned to orange. Certainly an orange meringue pie would hit the spot. And then…pomegranate. My mind raced back to the ill-fated Pom Pie that The Martha had heralded and poopooed all in the same breath ON THE AIR. (No, it wasn’t my pie, thank goodness. But then again, she didn’t say anything at ALL about MY pie. But no matter.) So then I just said hell with it and combined all three. Pomegranate, orange, and lemon. Good going. Warning though. While this pie is utter deliciousness, it is NOT attractive. I pictured a pink pie, the color of summer and tulips and butterflies. I should have known better. Combine pomegranate juice, orange juice, and lemon juice, and then mix in a bunch of deep yellow egg yolks…and you get nahsty brown.

Not pretty. Just not pretty.

Close your eyes though if it bums you out that bad – it is wonderful and light – yet rich. An unusual citrusy flavor that melds so well with the sweet meringue, which was a recipe I snagged from one of the Culinary Institute’s fantastic restaurants. You’ll love it, and if you are anything like me, you’ll find a multitude of things to pile it onto.

Pomegranate and Citrus Marshmallow Meringue Pie

Ingredients

• One par baked 9 inch pie shell
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 6 eggs
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 2/3 cup pomegranate juice (I used POM)
• zest of 2 lemons & 1 orange
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, chilled and cubed
• 1 recipe marshmallow meringue (recipe to follow)

Instructions

Using your fingers, press zest into the sugar until colored and aromatic. Stir in the cornstarch. Add eggs, egg yolks and juices, stirring well, but do not whip or beat. Place custard in a stainless steel bowl over a double broiler, stirring constantly until mixture is thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Do not overcook. Remove from heat and add the cubes of butter. Pour mixture into par baked pie shell, and bake at 325 until pie is set. Allow to cool completely before adding meringue. Use kitchen torch or broiler to brown the meringue.

Marshmallow Meringue

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons corn syrup
• 2 ounces water
• 6 egg whites

In heavy bottomed sauce pan combine sugar, corn syrup, and water and heat to 240 (soft ball stage) When the mixture approaches 220, start to whip your egg whites on medium-high speed (6 on a KitchenAid) until soft peaks form. By the time you achieve soft peaks, your sugar should be at 240. Turn the speed down to about 4, and add the hot sugar in to the egg whites in a slow, steady stream. Once all of the sugar is incorporated, turn the mixer back to 6 and beat for 15 minutes to cool. Chill the meringue and add to piping bag for use once cool.

Enjoy!!

I have now been an ambassador for Safest Choice™, as a member of their Darling Dozen for almost a full year. I know, I know…lucky!! I used a small TON of their eggs in this pie (lots of whites, lots of yolks!) They’ve been a wonderful company to work with and for, and encourage me to experiment with their truly fascinating eggs.

Fascinating? Yup.

Their eggs are pasteurized in the shell, before you ever get them! They taste the same (they’re eggs, after all), no weird chemicals were added, and they are already SAFE to consume, even before cooking! So…love cookie dough? Love Caesar Salad? These both include uncooked eggs. With Safest Choice, you’re good to go! What is pasteurization? Pasteurization is a century-old process that destroys pathogens through simple heat, and is well- known for its role in making milk and juices safe to enjoy. To pasteurize a food means to destroy harmful microorganisms (e.g., bacteria and viruses) by applying a precise amount of heat for a specified period of time. This straightforward food safety technique was invented by French chemist and microbiologist Louis Pasteur in 1864. Pasteurization is an all natural process, in that it involves only heat (not chemicals or irradiation). Safest Choice eggs go through a series of warm water baths to eliminate bacteria. It’s that simple! Visit www.SafeEggs.com/recipes/safest-choice-darling-dozen for more information on the Safest Choice Darling Dozen, or follow Safest Choice on Twitter and like us on Facebook. About Davidson’s Safest Choice Eggs: Founded in 2001, in Lansing, IL, National Pasteurized Eggs is a privately held company that launched the Davidson’s Safest Choice® brand pasteurized shell eggs in 2003. Safest Choice eggs can be found in over 5,000 grocery stores, in thousands of restaurants and through major foodservice distributors in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Mexico. Safest Choice eggs provide consumers the highest combined standard for quality and safety in shell eggs and the Safest Choice patented, all natural, award-winning egg pasteurization process allows everyone to enjoy all recipes without the risk of Salmonella. For more information or to find a retailer, visit www.SafeEggs.com.

Disclaimer: I am an ambassador for Safest Choice Eggs, as part of the Darling Dozen. This post is sponsored, but all thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.