It’s citrus season and peak time to take advantage of all the sweet and juicy flavors of citrus available in the stores. Orange meringue pie with a dark chocolate crust is a fun twist on an old classic will surprise and impress your friends.

Ingredients:

For Crust:

• 1 cup flour

• 2 tablespoons sugar

• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

• 2 ½ tablespoons cold butter

• 2 ½ tablespoons shortening

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• Ice water

For Meringue/Topping:

• 1 cup sugar

• ⅓ cup cornstarch

• 1 pinch of salt

• 1 ½ cups orange juice (freshly squeezed)

• ¼ cup water

• 5 eggs separated

• 4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces

• 3 teaspoons orange zest

• ½ cup diced orange segments

• ¼ Teaspoon cream of tartar

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

How to make the crust:

• First, make the crust. Combine the flour, sugar, cocoa and salt in a bowl with a mixer or combine in a food processor.

• Break up the shortening and butter into smaller pieces and drop into the mixture. Combine together until the mixture is crumbly and everything is well distributed.

• Sprinkle in the ice water while mixing, stop when the dough starts to come together.

• Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface, do this until it makes up a flat disk and then wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

• Roll the dough on a floured surface and then fit dough into your pie pan and trim the edges.

• Place crust back into the refrigerator while you make your pie filling.

How to make the filling:

• In a small saucepan, stir together ¼ cup sugar, cornstarch and salt.

• Mix in the orange juice and water.

• Whisk in the egg yolks.

• Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until thick and bubbly (around 5 minutes)

• Remove from heat and stir in butter, orange zest and diced orange segments.

• Pour into your pie crust, cover with plastic wrap and set aside to cool.

• When pie filling has cooled to room temperature it is time to make the meringue.

• In a large bowl, beat (room temperature*) egg whites until foamy.

• Slowly add ½ cup sugar and cream of tartar, continuing to beat until stiff peaks form.*if you lift your beater/whisk straight up the egg whites should form a sharp peak that holds its form

• Spread over pie, making sure that the meringue completely covers the filling and meets the edges of the pie crust

• Bake in the oven until meringue topping is golden brown, around 15 minutes.

* Beating eggs at room temperature will make creating the meringue a much easier process