Cranberry Custard Meringue Pie Recipe

Place egg whites in a small bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, line a 9-in. pie plate with pastry; trim and flute edges. Line pastry shell with a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Bake at 450° for 8 minutes. Remove foil; bake 5 minutes longer. Cool on a wire rack. In a small saucepan, combine the cranberries, orange peel, 1/2 cup sugar, water, salt and cinnamon. Cook over medium heat until berries pop, about 15 minutes. Combine 4 teaspoons cornstarch and orange juice until smooth; stir into cranberry mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; set aside. In another small saucepan, heat 3/4 cup sugar and 1-3/4 cups milk until bubbles form around sides of pan. In a small bowl, combine the remaining cornstarch and milk. Whisk in egg yolks until blended. Add a small amount of hot milk mixture; return all to the pan, whisking constantly. Whisk vigorously over medium heat as mixture begins to thicken (mixture will become very thick). Bring to a boil; whisk 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat; whisk in butter and vanilla. Transfer custard to crust; spread evenly with reserved cranberry mixture. Add cream of tartar to egg whites; beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in remaining sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, on high until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved. Spread evenly over filling, sealing edges to crust. Bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes or until meringue is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate overnight. Yield: 8 servings.