Pink Grapefruit Meringue Pie

I think pink grapefruit is one of life's great pleasures and putting it in a pie was interesting.  You have to appreciate the "zing" of a pink grapefruit to appreciate the pie.  When zesting the grapefruit, do not scrape deep, as the white membrane underneath is very bitter and will ruin your pie - I guarantee it (I ruined a pie this way many years ago).  Lightly scrape using a zesting tool.  I think I found mine at Target and use it all the time. I scrape the zest from an orange when I make Blueberry muffins. I scrape the zest from a fresh lemon to use on my chicken in my slow cooker, I scrape the zest from the lime for my Cucumber Lime salsa, so be sure this  gadget is not a wasted expense.

Pink Grapefruit Meringue Pie



9” baked pie crust


1 cup sugar


1/3 cup cornstarch


¼ tsp salt


1 ½ cups pink grapefruit juice, freshly squeezed (about 3)


¾ cup water


4 eggs, separated (whites will be used in meringue)


4 TBl butter, cut into small pieces


1 tsp grated grapefruit zest (lightly grate the skin because your pie will be *very* bitter if you go any deeper)


In a medium saucepan, combine the the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Add the grapefruit juice and water and stir with a whisk. Add the eggs yolks and whisk until the mixture is well blended and of uniform color.


Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes. The mixture will thicken and start to bubble. Don’t walk away from it, now, because things happen suddenly and you don’t what the bottom to burn. It should be thick enough so that it holds it’s shape when you stir it. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and rind. The mixture color will vary, depending on the grapefruit color.


Pour into the baked pie shell and cover with plastic wrap to keep a skin from forming on the top.


Meringue


4 egg whites


¼ tsp Cream of Tartar


In a large bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form.

 Gradually add 6 Tbl sugar, 1 TBL at a time, beating on high speed until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved. Spread evenly over hot filling, sealing edges to crust.


Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes, or until meringue is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.