Winter Chocolate Pie with Orange Meringue Recipe

Crust

1. Stir flour and salt in large bowl until blended.
2. Cut shortening into flour mixture using pastry blender or fork until shortening pieces are the size of peas.
3. Gradually add just enough water, 1 Tbsp. at a time, stirring with fork just until dough holds together and forms a smooth ball.
4. Shape dough into a ball and flatten into 1/2-inch-thick disk. Wrap in plastic wrap. Chill 30 minutes or up to 2 days.
5. Roll dough on lightly floured surface, rolling from center outward. For a 9-inch pie plate, roll into an 11-inch circle. Transfer dough to pie plate.
6. Fold the edge under and press to form a standing rim. Flute edge as desired. Chill while oven preheats.
7. Preheat oven to 425°F.
8. Line the pie dough with parchment paper or foil and add pie weights.
9. Bake for 20 minutes and remove from the oven; reduce the heat to 350°F.
10. Allow pie crust to cool for a few minutes then remove the weights and parchment or foil.
11. Return pie crust to the oven for an additional 10 minutes.
12. Remove and allow to cool completely.

Filling

1. Whisk together 1 cup of the milk with the corn starch; set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, molasses, orange zest and salt.
3. Heat over low heat until the sugar is dissolved; about 2-3 minutes.
4. Whisk in the milk and turn heat up to medium.
5. Cook, stirring frequently, for 4-6 minutes or until thickened.
6. Turn heat back down to low.
7. Remove about ¼ cup of the hot mixture and slowly whisk it into the egg yolks.
8. Then whisk that mixture back into the saucepan.
9. Cook on low 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
10. With the heat still on low, stir in the chocolate chips until melted.
11. Pour into cooled crust and place plastic wrap directly on top of the filling.
12. Chill in refrigerator 6 hours or overnight.

Meringue

1. In a heatproof bowl, combine the egg whites, cream of tartar, sugar and orange zest.
2. Place bowl on top of a saucepan of simmering water. Make sure the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl.
3. Heat and whisk the egg white mixture for 2-3 minutes. It will be warm and frothy.
4. Remove from the heat and whip the mixture either by hand or with a whip attachment on a mixer for 4-5 minutes or until the mixture has doubled in volume and forms stiff peaks.
5. Top the pie with the meringue, spreading all the way to the edges of the pie.
6. Brown the meringue with a kitchen torch or by placing it under a preheated broiler for a couple of minutes.