MINI CRANBERRY MERINGUE PIE! WHAT A TASTY LITTLE TREAT!

This come from www.marthastewart.com .  This is for a change of pace in stead of pumpkin pie.  Make these little individual treats for a refreshing after dinner dessert.

These mini pies feature a cranberry filling and are topped with billowy meringue. The recipe calls for the juice and zest of blood oranges, but if unavailable, regular ones work too.

If you can't find blood oranges, use regular ones for the zest and juice.

         

• Yield Makes 12

Ingredients

• All-purpose flour, for work surface
• Pate Sucree
• 3 1/4 cups fresh cranberries (12 ounces)
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped blood orange zest, plus 1/4 cup blood orange juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch of ground cloves
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3 large egg whites
• Pinch of cream of tartar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8 inch thick. Cut out 4 1/8-inch fluted rounds, and fit into cups of a standard 12-cup muffin tin (not nonstick). Pierce bottoms with tines of a fork. Freeze 15 minutes.
2. Line each shell with parchment paper, and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake 15 minutes. Remove weights and parchment. Return to oven; bake until bottoms are just turning golden, 5 minutes more. Transfer to wire racks; let cool 5 minutes. Remove shells from tin; let cool completely.
3. Bring 2 cups cranberries, 1 cup sugar, and 1 1/2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat, and simmer mixture, stirring occasionally, until cranberries have burst, about 5 minutes. Pour through a coarse sieve, then a fine sieve; discard solids. (You should have about 1 3/4 cups; if you have less, add water).
4. Bring strained cranberry juice, 1/4 cup sugar, the zests, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and remaining 1 1/4 cups cranberries to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat; simmer, stirring occasionally, until cranberries are soft but have not burst, about 3 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, stir cornstarch, blood orange juice, and 1/4 cup water in a bowl; whisk into cranberry mixture. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook, stirring, until translucent, about 1 minute. Divide among prepared shells. Refrigerate until set, about 1 hour (up to overnight).
6. Preheat broiler. Put egg whites and remaining 1/4 cup sugar into the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer set over a pan of simmering water; whisk until sugar has dissolved and mixture is hot to the touch. Attach to mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; beat on medium speed until foamy. Raise speed to high. Add cream of tartar; beat until medium, glossy peaks form. Divide the meringue evenly among pies.
7. Set pies under broiler until tops are browned, 30 seconds to 1 minute.