Striped Citrus Pie, The Book on Pie: Everything You Need to Know to Bake Perfect Pies by Erin Jeanne McDowell. Photography by Mark Weinberg.
Look no further than The Book on Pie for the only book on pie you’ll ever want or need.
Erin Jeanne McDowell, New York Times contributing baker extraordinaire and top food stylist, wrote the book on pie, a comprehensive handbook that distills all you’ll ever need to know for making perfect pies.
The Book on Pie starts with the basics, including ways to mix pie dough for extra flaky crusts, storage and freezing, recipe size conversions, and expert tips for decorating and styling, before diving into the recipes for all the different kinds of pies: fruit, custard, cream, chiffon, cold set, savoury, and mini. Find everything from classics like Apple Pie and Pumpkin Pie to more inspired recipes like Birthday-Cake Pie and Caramel Pork Pie with Chile and Scallions.
Erin also suggests recommended pie doughs and toppings with each recipe for infinitely customizable pies: Mix and match Pumpkin Spice Pie Dough and Dark Chocolate Drippy Glaze with the Pumpkin Pie, or sub in the Chive Compound-Butter Crust for the Croque Madame Pielets . . . the possibilities are endless. With helpful tips, photographic guides, and inspirations—pie-deas—it’s almost like having Erin in the kitchen baking pies with you.
The Book on Pie: Everything You Need to Know to Bake Perfect Pies by Erin Jeanne McDowell is available at Amazon.com and Indigo.ca.
Striped Citrus Pie
MAKES ONE 9-INCH / 23-CM PIE
DIFFICULTY: MEDIUM
I crave the tart flavours and adore the beautiful variety of colours of citrus fruits. In the depth and dark of winter, they’re such a welcome source of freshness and juicy goodness, a sign of the light and brightness that’s around the corner come springtime. This pie is an ode to my three favourite types of citrus: tangerines, grapefruit, and blood oranges. To intensify the colours, you can add a couple of drops of red food colouring to the blood orange curd and/or pink food colour to the grapefruit curd.
BLOOD ORANGE CURD
99 g / ½ cup granulated sugar
28 g / ¼ cup cornstarch
56 g / 2 ounces / 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
226 g / 1 cup fresh blood orange juice
64 g / 3 large egg yolks
Pinch of fine sea salt
One 9-inch / 23-cm pie crust, blind-baked, brushed with egg wash and cooled completely
GRAPEFRUIT CURD
99 g / ½ cup granulated sugar
28 g / ¼ cup cornstarch
56 g / 2 ounces / 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
226 g / 1 cup fresh grapefruit juice (preferably Ruby Red)
64 g / 3 large egg yolks
Pinch of fine sea salt
TANGERINE (OR ORANGE) CURD
99 g / ½ cup granulated sugar
28 g / ¼ cup cornstarch
56 g / 2 ounces / 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
226 g / 1 cup fresh tangerine (or orange) juice 64 g / 3 large egg yolks
Pinch of fine sea salt
Half Batch of Mascarpone Whipped Cream
- Make the blood orange curd: In a small bowl, whisk the sugar and cornstarch to combine. In
a small pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the sugar mixture, along with the blood orange juice and egg yolks, and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture begins to thicken, 1 to 2 minutes. - Switch to a silicone spatula and continue to cook, stirring constantly (be sure to get into the edges of the pot), until the curd thickens and comes to a boil (you’re looking for fat bubbles coming from the center of the pot), 2 to 3 minutes more.
- Strain the curd into the cooled pie crust and spread into an even layer. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly against 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.
- Make the grapefruit curd following the instructions above, then strain the curd on top of the chilled blood orange curd (remove the plastic wrap first, of course!) and spread it into an even layer. Press another piece of plastic wrap directly against the surface of the filling and transfer to the refrigerator to cool for 30 to 45 minutes. Wash out the pot and strainer again.
- Make the tangerine curd following the instructions above, then strain the tangerine curd on top of the chilled grapefruit curd and spread it into an even layer. Press another piece of plastic wrap directly against the surface of the filling and transfer to the refrigerator to cool for at least 2 hours (and up to 24 hours).
When the pie is well chilled, spoon, spread, or pipe the whipped cream on top. Keep refrigerated until ready to slice and serve.
Make Ahead and Storage
The pie can be made up to 24 hours ahead and kept refrigerated. Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
NOTE
You can substitute other citrus juices in any of the layers here or have the layers go in any order—just note that some flavours won’t have a strong colour difference (e.g., lemon and lime). But you can always add a drop or two of food colouring (see the headnote) to help distinguish between them.
Recipe reprinted with permission from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.