Florida Pie

3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbls arrowroot powder
1 1/2 cups orange juice
3 egg yolks
2 large oranges, or 6 clementines or tangerines
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 deep-dish, 9" pie crust, baked

Meringue:
3 egg whites
2 tablespoons sugar

Grate the peel of an orange to get 1 Tbls of orange zest (only the very outer layer of the peel, no white pith). Then peel the oranges, discard the peel, seeds, and as much pith as possible, and puree the oranges and orange zest in a blender. Chop the butter into small cubes. In a bowl, combine the orange puree, butter, and lemon juice.

Separate the eggs. Beat the egg yolks until smooth. Place the egg whites somewhere warm.

In a large pot, stir together the arrowroot and sugar. Stir in the orange juice. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat to low. 

Pour a small amount of hot filling into the egg yolks, stirring as you pour. Then pour the yolk mixture back into the pan, stirring constantly as you pour.

Remove from heat. Stir in the pureed orange mixture. Pour into pie crust.

In a small mixing bowl, beat egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, 1 teaspoon at a time, beating on high until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved. Spread evenly over hot filling, sealing edges to crust.

Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until meringue is golden brown. Let cool in the fridge until completely chilled before serving. The longer it has time to chill, the more solid the filling becomes.