Almost right after my friends dropped off a box of 57 Seville Oranges on my doorstep, I had a party to go to. So, I figured, why not recreate the citrus pies the ladies used to serve with sweet tea when I was a little girl. [I lived in Georgia for a few years, growing up.] I had a can of sweetened condensed milk in the cabinet. So, I figured, I was good to go. And, boy, did I go!
Below, you’ll find my recipe for a Thick-Graham-Cracker-Crusted Seville Orange Pie. It’s a breeze to make. You spend a little time making a thin syrup over the stove. But, the pie hardly spends any time in the oven.
If you don’t want to reserve your egg whites for fritattas or omelettes outside the scope of this recipe, I’ve given some instructions for a meringue, here, too. But, I tend to top my citrus pies with bourbon-laced whipped cream.
Oh, and if you don’t have Seville Oranges, never fear! The recipe works just as well with a 50:50 mix of sweet oranges and lemons, or with straight up lemons or limes. Just be sure you have 1 cup total juice and 2 tbs total zest.
Seville Orange Pie
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 1 1/2 c graham cracker crumbs
- 6 tbs unsalted butter
- 1/3 c sugar
- 1 tsp ground ginger - Optional
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon - Optional
Filling
- 4 egg yolks
- 2-3 large seville oranges* [You will need 2 tbs zest and 1 cup juice]
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 can [about 14 oz] sweetened condensed milk
Optional Toppings
- Whipped Cream**
- Meringue [4 egg whites 1/4 tsp cream of tartar, 1/4 cup sugar]
- Ice Cream
Instructions
Graham Cracker Crust Preparation
- Heat the oven to 350F.
- Melt the butter.
- In a medium bowl, mix the crumbs with the sugar, optional spices, and butter until combined.
- Press the mixture into the bottom of a pie dish and up the sides using the flat bottom of a measuring cup or glass.
- Bake the crust for 8-10 minutes.
- Set on a wire rack to cool. Don't turn off the oven!
Pie Filling Preparation
- Zest the citrus until you have 2 tbs of zest, diving into two equal portions.
- Juice the oranges until you have 1 cup of Seville Orange Juice.
- Place the juice and 1/2 cup of sugar in a medium saucpan.
- Over medium-high heat, bring the mixture to a boil.
- Then, simmer over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes, or until the mixture has reduced such that you have 3/4 of syrup.
- Pour the mixture into a heat-resistant container and set on wire rack to cool slightly.
- Place the egg yolks in a mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Beat the yolks with 1 of the tablespoons of Seville zest until lighter and fluffy. This takes at least 3 and up to 5 minutes in a mixer.
- Continue to beat for another 3-5 minutes while adding the sweetened condensed milk in slow driblets. The mixture will become quite thick.
- Slowly add the seville orange syrup, just mixing until combined.
Bake, Refrigerate, and Serve
- Make sure the oven is still pre-heated to 350F.
- Pour the pie filling into the crust.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the filling is just set.
- Top the cooked pie with the remaining zest.
- If you want to add a meringue, now is the time to do it. [Raise the oven to 400F. Begin whipping the 4 egg whites, slowly adding the 1/4 tsp cream of tartar and 1/4 c sugar, and beat to a fairly stiff peak. Top the pie with the meringue and bake 5-10 minutes, or until the meringue is golden.]
- Cool the pie on a wire rack.
- Then, refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
- Serve as is, or topped with whipped cream** or vanilla ice cream.
This pie was soooo good! Unlike anything I’ve had. I still dream about it a little.
Let’s put it on our summer list….You should leave a pie safe on your doorstep….(what a wonderful concept, no?)
this looks anazing!!! making today!! QUESTION! when you say to bake for 10-15 minutes but i want to make the meringue, do i bake for 10-15 and then add the meringue and bake another 10-15?? or just one 10-15 min bake?
also, how much bourbon do you add to the meringue? YUM! thanks!
Daphne, you add the meringue after the first bake. Raise the heat to 400. And bake an additional 5-10.