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
- Squeeze flesh of grapes from hull into a large saucepan and set hulls aside.
- Boil flesh about 10 minutes to release seeds.
- Push flesh though a fine sieve to remove seeds and return to pot.
- Add hulls, sugar, flour, zest, juice and salt to pot and simmer at low heat, covered, stirring frequently until filling thickens.
- Remove from heat and let cool to 140 degrees.
- Place filling in food processor and add butter a piece at a time with machine running.
- Scrape filling into pie shell.
Meringue Directions
- Fill a pot about 2 inched with water and bring to medium low heat.
- Combine eggs, sugar, and salt in a glass or metal bowl that can rest over simmering water without touching bottom.
- Split vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape seeds into bowl.
- Place bowl over pot and whip with hand blender constantly until temperature of 120 degrees is reached.
- Remove bowl from pot and continue to whip until stiff, glossy peaks form.
- Spread meringue over pie, making sure it reached the edges of the crust.
- Brown tips of meringue under a broiler.