Blood Orange Butterscotch Meringue Pie

With a snappy filling of blood orange curd that’s crowned by a glossy brown sugar meringue, this variation on the classic lemon meringue pie is slightly sweeter and juicier than the original, and just as eye-catching with its swirly, golden topping.

For the crust

All-purpose flour, for rolling out

dough

Dough for 1 (9-inch) pie

For the filling

4 egg yolks (save whites for the

meringue)

1 large egg

2⁄3 cup (133 grams) granulated sugar 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters)

freshly squeezed lemon juice

3⁄4 cup (177 milliliters) freshly squeezed blood orange juice (from 3-5 oranges, see Notes) 1 tablespoon finely grated blood orange zest, plus more for garnish

Pinch of salt

6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted

butter, cut into 1⁄2-inch pieces

For the meringue

4 egg whites, at room temperature 1 packed cup (210 grams) light

brown sugar

1⁄4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Pinch of salt

Instructions: On a lightly floured surface, and using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll pie dough into a 12-inch circle, about thick. Transfer to a 9-inch pie pan (not deep dish); fold the edges over and crimp them together. Prick crust all over with a fork and chill in freezer for 30 minutes until frozen. (Cover with plastic if freezing for longer than a few hours. Well wrapped, it will last in the freezer for up to a month.)

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line chilled crust with foil, fill with pie weights or dried rice, then bake for 12 minutes. Remove foil, lower oven temperature to 350 degrees, and bake until pale golden, 10-16 minutes longer. Transfer to a rack to cool while you prepare the filling. (Leave the oven on if baking the pie immediately.)

In a heavy saucepan, whisk together egg yolks, egg and sugar. Stir in the orange and lemon juices, zest and salt. Add pieces of butter and cook, whisking constantly, over medium-low heat until the mixture thickens enough to coat a spoon, about 7-9 minutes. An instant-read thermometer should register 180 degrees. Inspect the filling: If you think there are any coagulated bits of egg, strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl.

Pour filling into pie crust and return to the oven to bake until filling is set (it should jiggle only slightly in the center), about 18-25 minutes. Remove pie from oven and increase oven temperature to 400 degrees for baking the meringue.

As the filling bakes, make the meringue: Fill a medium pot with 1 inch of water and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Using a large metal bowl, whisk together egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar and salt. Set the bowl with the egg white mixture into the pot above the water, and whisk constantly by hand until sugar dissolves and mixture is warm (160 degrees on an instant thermometer) and has thickened and lightened in color, 5-7 minutes. Remove bowl from heat.

Using an electric mixer, beat on medium-low speed and gradually increase speed to high, until mixture is thick, fluffy and stiff peaks form, about 5-8 minutes. Be careful not to overbeat.

Spread the meringue over the hot filling, making sure it meets the edges of the crust. Using a knife or spatula, swirl in a design if you like, and bake until lightly browned, about 8-12 minutes.

Allow to cool completely and top with more orange zest before serving.

Notes: If you can’t find blood oranges, regular oranges or tangerines make fine substitutes. This pie is best served the day it’s baked, though you can make the dough and filling up to five days in advance. The meringue, however, needs to be whipped up just before the pie is baked.

Makes 8 servings

Photos by Kate Sears / New York Times