Muscadine Meringue Pie

Summary: Preparing the tough hulled muscadine grapes for this pie takes a little time, but this tart and sweet dessert is worth the effort.  From The Southern Foodways Alliance Community Cookbook, via Communalskillet.com

Pie Ingredients

• 2 1/2 Lb Muscadine Grapes
• 1/2 c Sugar
• 1/3 c Flour
• Zest and Juice of 1 Lemon
• Pinch Salt
• 1 1/4 Sticks Butter, chilled and cut into 1 T pieces
• 1 (Nine Inch) Pie Shell, blind baked 30 minutes at 425 degrees.

Meringue Ingredients

• 1/2 c Egg Whites (about 3 Large Eggs)
• 3/4 c Sugar
• Pinch Salt
• 1 Vanilla Bean

Pie Directions

1. Squeeze flesh of grapes from hull into a large saucepan and set hulls aside.
2. Boil flesh about 10 minutes to release seeds.
3. Push flesh though a fine sieve to remove seeds and return to pot.
4. Add hulls, sugar, flour, zest, juice and salt to pot and simmer at low heat, covered, stirring frequently until filling thickens.
5. Remove from heat and let cool to 140 degrees.
6. Place filling in food processor and add butter a piece at a time with machine running.
7. Scrape filling into pie shell.

Meringue Directions

1. Fill a pot about 2 inched with water and bring to medium low heat.
2. Combine eggs, sugar, and salt in a glass or metal bowl that can rest over simmering water without touching bottom.
3. Split vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape seeds into bowl.
4. Place bowl over pot and whip with hand blender constantly until temperature of 120 degrees is reached.
5. Remove bowl from pot and continue to whip until stiff, glossy peaks form.
6. Spread meringue over pie, making sure it reached the edges of the crust.
7. Brown tips of meringue under a broiler.