Orange and Ginger Curd Pie with Cranberry Meringue

It’s the holiday season, full of lights, love, abundance and cheer. It is my favorite time to bake. I go wild with cookies, desserts, pies, tarts — you name it. It is also the season to give. Year after year, I make edible gifts for my loved ones. It could be my signature fruit cake, or a box of cookies, or macarons. 

My inspiration for the Orange and Ginger Curd Pie with Cranberry Meringue

Today’s recipe is less of a packable gift, though, and more of a showstopping dessert for your holiday table: Orange and Ginger Curd Pie with a Cranberry Meringue. Oranges and cranberries are in season, and the combination works wonders in my opinion. The tangy citrus and the warmth from the ground ginger also pair together beautifully. 

My love for oranges!

Oranges are popping up everywhere and I could not be happier. Let’s face it, with the winter almost here, we all need vitamin C! I love Navel oranges for making this mean orange and ginger curd, but I also enjoy them for juicing. 

I usually get a 10-pound bag  from the farmers market, and the oranges last for about four days of juice for breakfast. And guess what? I add a pinch of ground ginger in the O.J. as well for its immunity building properties. I try to stave off illness in the family as much as possible. 

Ingredients for the Orange and Ginger Curd Pie with Cranberry Meringue

The ingredients for the Orange and Ginger Curd Pie with Cranberry Meringue are:

Pie Dough

• All-purpose flour
• Salt
• Ground ginger
• Granulated sugar
• Unsalted butter
• Ice cold water
• Apple cider vinegar

Orange and Ginger Curd filling

• Freshly squeezed orange juice
• Lemon juice
• Ground ginger
• Zest of 2 oranges
• Eggs and egg yolks
• Granulated sugar
• Cornstarch
• Unsalted butter

Sugared cranberries and rosemary (optional)

• Water
• Granulated sugar
• Cranberries
• Sprigs of rosemary

Italian Cranberry Meringue

• Eggs whites (saved from the curd)
• Cream of tartar
• Granulated sugar
• Cranberry juice
• Vanilla extract
• Drop of pink food gel coloring (optional)

How to make the Orange and Ginger Curd Pie with Cranberry Meringue

PIE DOUGH: The pie starts off with a simple dough. I have a standard pie dough recipe that I have been using for years. It goes back to when I attended the Tante Marie Cooking School before I had kids. 

A class devoted to pies and tarts was one of the first cooking classes I ever took, and I had the time of my life learning from the legendary Tante Marie founder Mary Risley herself. The school unfortunately closed down, but I learned so much about different pies and tarts and made some new like-minded friends.

When making the pie dough, I prefer using a pastry blender to mix the cold butter into the flour, sugar and salt. But if you are using a food processor, be sure to pulse it rather than hold down the button to mix the dough continuously. 

• IMPORTANT TIPS
  • To get a flaky pie dough, it is important to have those pea-sized butter bits in the dough, so that when the butter melts, it creates pockets of air — in other words flakiness — when baked. 
  • Also the whole idea is to not work the gluten, so do not knead the dough once you add the cold water. Another important step is to freeze the dough once it’s in the pie plate, which helps the crust retain its shape when baking in the oven. 

ORANGE AND GINGER CURD: If you’ve made lemon curd before, you’ll find the orange and ginger curd simple to make. You are essentially heating up orange juice with ground ginger. In a bowl, you whisk together eggs, sugar and cornstarch. 

Temper the egg mixture by adding a bit of the hot orange juice, mixing it and then adding the entire egg mixture back into the hot juice on the stove. Whisk this mixture until it thickens to a curd consistency. The last step is to strain it and add butter to make it silky smooth.

Pour the curd into the cooled pie crust and bake it for a mere 20-ish minutes. Then it needs to be chilled completely in the fridge for a few hours.

CRANBERRY MERINGUE: The Italian Cranberry Meringue for the Orange and Ginger Curd Pie with Cranberry Meringue may seem tough. You may be thinking, “how am I going to make a meringue? I have never made it before!” But do not panic! It is seriously not hard. 

Italian meringue is the most stable out of the three types (Swiss, French and Italian). That is because you are making a cranberry-sugar syrup, boiling it to 240 degrees, and then adding that hot mixture to whipped egg whites. 

The egg whites are further stabilized by adding a bit of cream of tartar, so that the texture of the meringue is smooth. The stand mixer does all the work, creating a pinkish meringue that is cloud-like and luxurious in texture. Dollop it onto the pie, and toast it with a kitchen blow torch. 

DECORATION: I decorate the pie with sugared cranberries and rosemary springs, but feel free to omit this step if you want to save time. Either way, serve the pie on the same day you make it or the next day at the latest. 

• IMPORTANT TIP: The meringue will start weeping liquid if left too long. Alternatively, you can bake the curd-filled pie a couple of days ahead of time and then make the meringue just before serving.

Can I buy a store bought ready made pie crust? Will that work?

Here is the link to the store bought pie crust, and you can simply make the curd and bake it normally after making the curd.

What kind of a pie dish can I use for the Orange and Ginger Curd Pie with Cranberry Meringue?

Use ceramic pie pans or normal non-stick steel pans as well. Both will work.

What is the best way to store the Orange and Ginger Curd Pie with Cranberry Meringue?

The best way to store the Orange and Ginger Curd Pie with Cranberry Meringue is by placing it in the fridge. If it is covered in a large airtight container , it is better. But if you do not have one, you can simply keep it open in the fridge, for upto 2 days. The meringue will start weeping but the pie is still enjoyable.

Is the pie portable?

The pie is absolutely portable. Be sure to get a portable pie carrier so that the shape is not disrupted. I linked a cake carrier because of the high meringue.

What kind of a kitchen blow torch should I use?

The kitchen blow torch that I used is linked here.

Other holiday dessert recipes on my blog are:

• Pear and Thandai Upside Down Cake
• Chai Masala Apple Streusel Cake

If you make this recipe, please tag #thejamlab on Instagram and/or comment on this blog post.

XO

Amisha

Orange and Ginger Curd Pie with Cranberry Meringue

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• Amisha Gurbani

Make a showstopper of a dessert for the holidays with this Orange and Ginger Curd Pie. Ginger provides warmth and pairs beautifully with in-season Navel oranges. You’ll top the pie with an Italian meringue, which is one of the most stable meringues, that features a tart pop from cranberry. This pie is best enjoyed immediately, though you could keep it in the fridge for a day before serving.

 

Serves 6 to 8

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Ingredients

Pie Dough

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for sprinkling
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 cup ice cold water
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Orange and Ginger Curd filling

• 1 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• Zest of 2 oranges
• 2 eggs + 2 egg yolks (save the egg whites for the meringue)
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon slices

Sugared cranberries and rosemary (optional)

• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup fresh cranberries
• 4–5 sprigs of rosemary

Italian Cranberry Meringue

• 3 egg whites (2 saved from the curd)
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup cranberry juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Drop of pink food gel coloring (optional)

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Method

Pie Dough

1. Add the all-purpose flour, salt, ginger and sugar in a food processor, and pulse to combine. Add the cold butter and pulse just until the butter is broken down into pea-sized pieces. Do not over pulse; you want butter pieces to be visible.
2. Mix together the ice cold water and vinegar in a measuring cup.
3. Add about 4 tablespoons of the water-vinegar to the food processor and pulse until just combined. Pinch the dough between your fingers: if it holds, the dough is done. If not, add 2 more tablespoons of the water-vinegar mixture and pulse to combine. Repeat the dough pinching to test for doneness.
4. Remove the dough and place on a piece of plastic wrap. Form the dough with your hands into a disc. Cover tightly with the wrap and press and shape it with your hands into a firm disc.
5. Place in the fridge for about 1 hour.
6. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
7. Sprinkle all-purpose flour onto a work surface. Remove the dough from the plastic wrap and roll into a 12-inch circle using a rolling pin. With the help of the rolling pin, fold the dough in half over the pin, and place it in the center of a 9-inch pie plate.
8. Nudge the dough against the sides of the pie plate. Fold the overhang underneath the edge of the plate and press to secure. Decorate the edge of the pie, if you’d like. Using a fork, prick the bottom of the dough all over. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes to chill, so that the dough does not lose its shape while baking.
9. Crumple a parchment paper between your hands, open it and place it on the chilled pie dough. Add pie weights or dried beans to hold the crust down.
10. Place in the lower rack of the oven for about 20 minutes.
11. Remove the parchment paper with the weights and bake again for about 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown in color.
12. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

Orange and Ginger Curd filling

1. Place the orange juice, lemon juice, ginger and orange zest in a small saucepan, and heat over medium for 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, add the eggs, egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch. Whisk vigorously until well combined.
3. Add about ½ cup of the hot orange juice mixture into the yolks and whisk until well combined. 
4. Pour the egg-juice mixture in the bowl into the hot orange juice on the stove and whisk vigorously. Cook the mixture for about 3 to 4 minutes, whisking frequently, until the mixture bubbles and has thickened. Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the pan with a rubber spatula so that the curd does not stick or burn. 
5. Strain the curd through a sieve placed over a bowl.
6. Add the butter and stir with a spatula, until the butter melts completely and the curd is silky and smooth.

Bake the pie

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Pour the curd into the baked shell.
3. Place the pie into the oven and bake for about 15 to 20 minutes, until the middle is jiggly and looks a bit set.
4. Remove and cool completely. Place in the fridge for about 3 to 4 hours, until set.

Sugared cranberries and rosemary (optional)

1. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper and placing a wire rack on top. Set aside.
2. In a small saucepan, on medium heat, add the water and ¼ cup sugar. Mix to combine. Heat for about 3 minutes, until syrupy.
3. Add the cranberries and rosemary sprigs, and coat them well with the sugar syrup, about 1 minute.
4. Remove them with a slotted spoon and place on the prepared wire rack. Rest for about an hour.
5. In a medium bowl, add the remaining sugar. Add the cranberries and rosemary and, using a rubber spatula, coat them with the sugar. Set aside.

 

Italian Cranberry Meringue:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, with a whisk attachment, add the egg whites and cream of tartar.
2. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, on high heat, add the sugar and cranberry juice. Mix to combine and bring to a boil. Allow it to reduce and thicken, about 10 minutes from start to finish. Use an instant-read thermometer to check your work: the temperature should be 240 degrees.
3. While the mixture is boiling, return to the stand mixer and whisk the egg whites on medium speed, until foamy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Once the hot mixture is ready, gradually pour it into the stand mixer as the machine is still on and whisking. Add the vanilla extract and a drop of pink food gel color, if using. Whisk on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 4 to 5 minutes.

 

Assembly:

1. Pile the meringue high on top of the curd. Use an offset spatula to evenly cover the curd and create swirls of meringue.
2. Toast the meringue using a kitchen torch. Alternatively, you can broil it in the oven on high for about 2 minutes. Watch carefully to ensure you do not burn the meringue.
3. Decorate with the sugared cranberries and sugared rosemary sprigs, if using.