Best 3 Citrus Cranberry Pie Recipes

LEMON-CRANBERRY MERINGUE PIE

Steps:

• Crust: Preheat oven to 400°F. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to an approximately 13-inch round. Transfer to a 9-by-2-inch fluted tart pan, or a 9-inch deep-dish pie dish. Trim dough to be flush with edges of pan.
• Line with parchment and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake until crust is set and dry, about 25 minutes. Remove beans and parchment; continue baking until crust is golden on bottom, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.
• Lemon Filling: Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a saucepan. Whisk in egg yolks, lemon zest, and 1 1/3 cups water until smooth. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking frequently; boil 1 minute.
• Remove from heat; whisk in lemon juice and butter until smooth. Pour mixture into crust. Refrigerate until filling is cool and set, about 30 minutes.
• Cranberry Gelée: Combine cranberries, sugar, cornstarch, salt, and 3/4 cup water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally; boil 1 minute. Press through a fine-mesh sieve (discarding solids), then pour over chilled and set lemon pudding in crust, gently spreading to edges with an offset spatula. Refrigerate until cold and set, at least 30 minutes or, loosely covered, up to 1 day. If using tart pan, remove pie from pan and transfer to a serving plate or cake stand.
• Meringue: In the bowl of a mixer set over (but not in) a bowl of simmering water, beat egg whites and sugar until sugar has dissolved and mixture is hot. Transfer to mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; beat on low speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar and vanilla, increase speed to medium-high and whisk until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 8 minutes.
• Spoon meringue onto center of pie, spreading slightly and leaving a 1-inch border between meringue and crust. Wave a kitchen torch over meringue until browned in places. Cut pie into wedges; serve. (Pie is best eaten the same day.)

CRANBERRY CHESS PIE

Steps:

• Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 325°F. Place pie crust on a rimmed baking sheet. Cook cranberries in a medium saucepan over medium heat, shaking pan occasionally, until some have begun to split and burst, 6-8 minutes. Drain off any excess liquid. Remove from heat and let cool (if you're in a rush, transferring to a baking sheet or medium bowl will help them cool faster).
• Combine sugar and salt in a large bowl, then add lemon zest. Use your fingers to rub zest into sugar until moist and fragrant. Whisk in cornmeal and flour, then add eggs and vigorously whisk until well combined, about 30 seconds, Whisk in cream, butter, and vanilla, then add lemon juice and whisk again. Set a few cranberries aside for the top. Gently fold in remaining cranberries with a rubber spatula, breaking up any clumps.
• Gently pour mixture into pie crust and dot reserved cranberries over top of custard (this makes for the most photo-worthy dessert). Bake pie until top is golden brown and set but custard still jiggles in the center (about a 3" radius), 60-70 minutes. If your pie isn't as brown as you'd like it, you can increase oven temperature to 350°F for the last 5-10 minutes. Transfer pie to a wire rack and let cool (custard will fall as it cools). Transfer pie to the fridge and chill at least 1 hour.
• Just before serving, dust with powdered sugar if using. For the cleanest slices, cut with a hot dry knife (just like if you were cutting cheesecake).
• Do ahead: Pie can be made 3 days ahead. Keep chilled. Return to room temperature to serve if you'd like.

CRANBERRY MERINGUE PIE

Steps:

• To make the crust, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Whisk together the crumbs, butter and sugar. Scrape into a 9-inch glass pie plate and press evenly across the bottom and sides. Bake until the crust just begins to brown, 7 to 10 minutes. Set aside.
• To make the curd, put the cranberries and 1/2 cup water in a saucepan. Heat until the cranberries pop, about 5 minutes. Purée in a food processor and strain through a sieve. Return to the pan, add the butter and sugar and heat until the butter melts and sugar dissolves.
• Whisk the yolks until smooth. Very slowly whisk in the hot cranberry mixture. Return mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens a bit, about 5 minutes. (Do not allow to boil, or the eggs will scramble.) Set aside.
• To make the filling, place the cranberries, sugar and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan. Boil just until the sugar melts. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Position a rack in the top third of the oven. Have the curd and filling very hot. (Reheat the curd gently, stirring, to avoid scrambling the eggs.)
• To make the meringue, put the cornstarch and 1 tablespoon sugar in a small saucepan. Stir in 1/3 cup water. Place over medium heat and stir until the mixture boils and becomes translucent. Set aside. In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites and salt until fluffy. Slowly add remaining sugar. Reduce speed to medium and add cornstarch mixture a tablespoon at a time. Beat just until meringue is glossy and holds stiff peaks. (Do not overbeat.) Fold in the dried cranberries.
• Pour off any liquid from the filling and spread it in the pie shell. Top it with the cranberry curd. Add the meringue, covering the filling completely and making little decorative peaks. Place the pie on a baking sheet to catch any drips and bake until meringue peaks are nicely browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool before serving or refrigerating.