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Prep time
4 hours
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Cook time
20 minutes
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makes
one 9-inch pie
Author Notes
Cold-set pies offer an opportunity to easily layer flavors inside a crust. By allowing one curd to set before you add the next, you can build a pie that reveals beautiful stripes when sliced. You can substitute any citrus juice for the layers here; just note that some flavors, like lemon and lime, won’t have a strong color difference, but you could always add a drop or two of food coloring, if desired, to help distinguish between them! To take this really over the top, finish it with a pile of meringue.
Excerpted from THE BOOK ON PIE © 2020 by Erin Jeanne McDowell. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved. —Erin Jeanne McDowell
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Striped Citrus Pie
Ingredients
- Blood Orange Curd:
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4 tablespoons
(56 grams) unsalted butter
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1/2 cup
(99 grams) granulated sugar
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¼
(28 grams) cornstarch
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1 cup
(226 grams) freshly squeezed blood orange juice
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3
large (64 grams) egg yolks
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Pinch fine sea salt
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1 blind-baked pie crust, cooled completely
- Grapefruit Curd:
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4 tablespoons
(56 grams) unsalted butter
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1/2 cup
(99 grams) granulated sugar
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4 tablespoons
(28 grams) cornstarch
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1 cup
(226 grams) freshly squeezed grapefruit juice (preferably Ruby Red)
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3
large (64 grams) egg yolks
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Pinch fine sea salt
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(Tangerine (or Orange) Curd)
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4 tablespoons
(56 grams) unsalted butter
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1/2 cup
(99 grams) granulated sugar
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4 tablespoons
(28 grams) cornstarch
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1 cup
(226 grams) freshly squeezed tangerine (or orange) juice
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3
large (64 grams) egg yolks
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Pinch fine sea salt
Directions
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Make the blood orange curd: In a small pot, melt the butter over medium heat. In a small bowl, whisk the sugar and cornstarch to combine.
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Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the sugar mixture to the pot, along with the blood orange juice, egg yolks, and salt. Continue to cook, whisking constantly, until the curd begins to thicken, 1 to 2 minutes.
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Switch to a silicone spatula and continue to cook, stirring constantly (be sure to get into the edges and corners of the pot), until the curd thickens and fat bubbles begin to break the surface in the center of the pot, 2 to 3 minutes more.
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Strain the hot curd into the prepared, cooled pie crust and spread into an even layer. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly to the surface of the filling and transfer to the refrigerator to cool for 30 to 45 minutes. Wash out the pot and strainer; you’ll use them again.
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Make the grapefruit curd: Repeat steps 1 through 3 to prepare the curd. Strain the grapefruit curd on top of the chilled blood orange curd and spread into an even layer. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly to the surface of the filling and transfer to the refrigerator to cool for 30 to 45 minutes. Wash out the pot and strainer; you’ll use them one last time!
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Make the tangerine curd: Repeat steps 1 through 3 to prepare the curd. Strain the tangerine curd on top of the chilled blood orange curd and spread into an even layer. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly to the surface of the filling and transfer to the refrigerator to cool for at least 2 hours (and up to 24 hours).
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Keep refrigerated until ready to slice and serve.
I always have three kinds of hot sauce in my purse. I have a soft spot for making people their favorite dessert, especially if it's wrapped in a pastry crust. My newest cookbook, Savory Baking, came out in Fall of 2022 - is full of recipes to translate a love of baking into recipes for breakfast, dinner, and everything in between!
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