Page 115 - United States of Pie

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
Pinch of kosher salt
6 tablespoons sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Prepare the pie shell: Preheat the oven to 400°F. On a well-floured
surface, roll out the dough until it is about /8-inch thick and will fit a
1
9-inch pie plate. Gently pick up the dough, center it over the pie
plate, and ease it into the plate. Trim the edges of the dough to leave
a 1-inch overhang. Fold the edges under, and then decoratively
crimp the perimeter.
With the tines of a fork, prick the bottom of the pie shell in several

places. Line the shell with a round of parchment paper cut to size.
Pour in about 2 cups of dried beans (these can be reused), and bake
the shell for 10 minutes. Remove the beans and parchment paper,
and continue to bake the shell for another 8 to 10 minutes, until the
crust is beginning to brown. Remove the piecrust from the oven and
let it cool to room temperature while you make the filling.

Make the filling: Combine the egg yolks, sugar, vanilla, jam, flour,
and buttermilk in the top of a double boiler, and mix well. Place the
pan over simmering water and cook, whisking constantly, until the
mixture thickens to a puddinglike consistency, about 7 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat, and continue to stir the custard until
it cools slightly. Pour the custard into the cooled pie shell. Lay a
sheet of plastic wrap directly over the surface of the filling to prevent

a skin from forming, and let the pie cool to room temperature.
Make the meringue: Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat the egg whites with
the cream of tartar until frothy. Add the salt and continue beating. As
the egg whites turn glossy, slowly add the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a
time, incorporating each spoonful before adding the next. Continue

to beat until the whites form stiff peaks but are not absolutely dry,
about 4 minutes. Fold in the vanilla.
Spoon some of the meringue around the perimeter of the pie, and
spread it until it touches the inner edge of the crust. (It is important to
create a seal between the meringue and the crust, to protect against
shrinkage.) Mound the rest of the meringue in the center, and then