California Sunshine Pie
“There’s both orange and lemon in this pie and the flavor’s just wonderful!”
1/2 cup cold water
7 tablespoons cornstarch
l cup hot water
1 1/4 cups sugar
Dash of salt
3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/3 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 teaspoon grated orange rind
1 tablespoon butter
1 baked Pie Shell (below)
Mix 1/2 cup cold water and cornstarch to thin paste … Combine l cup hot
water, sugar, and salt in top of double boiler and bring to boil over direct heat.
Add cornstarch paste and cook until mixture begins to thicken, return to
double boiler and cook until thick and smooth (15 minutes), stirring
constantly … Stir a small amount of mixture into beaten egg yolks, return
to double boiler, and cook a few minutes longer …
Add fruit juices and rinds and butter and blend well.
Cool, stirring occasionally.
Pour into baked pie shell … Top with meringue made with 3 egg whites,
6 tablespoons sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon grated orange rind.
(See Meringue, below.)
Meringue
3 egg whites
6 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla or 1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon grated orange rind
Beat egg whites until they hold a stiff peak. Add
sugar gradually (1 tablespoon at a time), beating
constantly. Add vanilla or lemon juice. Pile lightly
on filling in baked pie shell … Bake in moderately
slow oven (325°F.) 20 minutes, or until firm and
delicately browned.
Pie Shell
1 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons Spry vegetable shortening
3 tablespoons cold water (about)
Sift flour and salt together … Add 1/2 of the Spry
vegetable shortening to flour. Cut in until mixture looks like
meal. Add remaining Spry vegetable shortening and continue
cutting until particles are size of a navy bean … Sprinkle
water gradually over mixture. With a fork, work lightly
together until a dough is formed. Roll dough 1/8-inch
thick and prick with a fork (for baked pie shell only).
Place dough in pan and let relax 5 minutes. Pat with
ball of dough to fit pastry into pan. Trim pastry
1-inch larger than pan and turn back edge. Flute
rim. . . . Bake in very hot oven (450-F.) 15 minutes.
Source: Spry vegetable shortening recipe booklet, 1940’s.
(Spry vegetable shortening was sold in the 1930’s through
about 1960’s or 70’s. Regular Crisco solid vegetable shortening is an exact substitute.)