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Original post published December 2, 2020. Last updated on November 20, 2023.
It’s the beginning of December, which means it’s officially time for festive bakes! Featuring a homemade ginger biscuit crust and cranberry-orange curd and piled high with swirls of lightly toasted Italian meringue, this cranberry orange meringe pie with ginger biscuit crust perfectly captures the spirit of the season.
First things first. There are lots of recipes out there for ginger biscuit (or gingersnap, or ginger nut, or ginger cookie, depending on where you’re located!) pie crusts, and almost all of them call for store-bought cookies.
Instead, this recipe begins with homemade ginger snap cookies. They are a little bit more work, but I promise that the results are well worth it!
This ginger biscuit recipe (adapted from Handle the Heat) is also delicious in its own right.
As a bonus, you’ll have a few biscuits left over–they’re ideal for snacking or dunking in a cup of tea! I sometimes cheat and eat a few for breakfast, too.
Why Cranberries?
There are plenty of great recipes out there for lemon meringue pie, but in my opinion, it’s more of a summertime treat. In the cold winter months, the tart, brightly colored cranberry provides a festive twist perfectly suited to Thanksgiving and Christmas gatherings.
Winter also happens to be the time when cranberries (both fresh and frozen) are most readily available in grocery stores, because they’re a key component in popular holiday recipes such as cranberry sauce, cranberry muffins, and even cranberry cocktails.
Cranberry Pie Tips and Tricks
You’ll definitely need a good digital thermometer for this recipe (this one by Taylor is my go-to).
I happen to love lots and lots of meringue, so I made a huge batch for this recipe. You can halve the recipe if you prefer less meringue, or make a small batch and pipe delicate stars or rosettes around the edges of the pie. You even omit the meringue altogether and garnish your pie with fresh fruit (such as cranberries or orange slices) or a dollop of whipped cream instead.
I used a fluted tart pan with a removable bottom, and two miniature glass pie tins. A pan with a removable bottom is best for presentation, but a standard one will work as well if you don’t mind serving your cranberry meringue pie in the tin. (If gifting, you can also use a disposable pie plate, or a cheap one purchased from a local thrift store.)
Shortcuts and Make Ahead Suggestions
This recipe has a number of steps and does require a bit of a time commitment. But, there is plenty of room for flexibility.
If you’re short on time, you can make the crust with store-bought ginger nuts/ginger snaps rather than homemade. However, I personally think that a better alternative is to prep the cookies ahead of time. You can make them a day or two before, or even make and freeze them a few weeks in advance, then just thaw and proceed with crust directions as written.
You can also make, fill, and and cool the tart a few hours before adding the meringue. Or, just skip the meringue entirely if it’s not your thing.
Other Festive Recipes You Might Enjoy:
Pennsylvania Dutch Sand Tart Christmas Cookies
Festive Cranberry Jelly Candies
Peppermint Christmas Lollipops
Red Wine Hot Chocolate
Easy Mulled Wine with Citrus and Spices
If you make this cranberry-orange meringue pie, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me at @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!
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Cranberry-Orange Meringue Pie
- Yield: 1 large (9" / 23 cm) pie, plus 2 mini (6" / 15 cm) pies 1x
Description
Featuring a homemade ginger biscuit crust and cranberry-orange curd and piled high with Italian meringue, this tart perfectly captures the spirit of the festive season.
Ingredients
Ginger Biscuits:
300 grams all purpose flour (about 2 1/4 cups)
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
200 grams granulated sugar, plus more for rolling
170 grams unsalted butter (about 1 1/2 sticks)
50 grams light brown sugar (about 1/4 cup, packed)
115 grams molasses (about 1/3 cup) or black treacle
1 egg
Ginger Biscuit Crust:
650 grams ginger biscuits/gingersnap cookies (about 4 cups)
113 grams unsalted butter (1/2 cup/one stick, cubed)
Cranberry-Orange Curd:
370 grams frozen cranberries (about 13 ounces)
100 milliliters orange juice (about 1/2 cup)
275 grams granulated sugar (about 1 1/4 cups, divided)
140 grams unsalted butter (10 tablespoons, melted)
2 eggs
2 egg yolks (reserve whites for meringue)
2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
Italian Meringue:
270 grams granulated sugar (about 1 1/3 cups)
105 milliliters water
120 grams egg whites (reserved from meringue, plus more as needed; about 4 whites total)
Instructions
Ginger Biscuits:
Preheat oven to 175° C / 350° F.
Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats, and set aside until ready to use.
Sieve together flour, baking soda, spices, and salt.
In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in molasses and egg, then add the dry ingredients and mix on high until well-combined.
Roll dough into 1.5-inch balls. Roll in additional sugar and place on prepared baking sheets, allowing plenty of room for cookies to spread as they bake.
Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until crispy and golden, with cracked tops.
Transfer to a wire rack. Allow cookies to cool completely before preparing the crust.
Ginger Biscuit Crust:
Grease each tin with butter or cooking spray and line with a circle of parchment. Set aside until ready to use.
Measure out 650 grams (4 cups) of ginger biscuits. Transfer to a plastic bag and use a mallet to crush the cookies into small chunks.
Transfer chunks to a food processor and pulse to create a sandy texture. Add the cubed butter and pulse until the mixture comes together.
Press crust mixture into prepared tins, dampening your fingertips with water as needed. Place crust in the freezer to chill, at least 15 minutes.
While crusts are chilling, preheat oven to 190° C / 375° F.
Place tins on a large tray. Line each crust with parchment, fill with baking beans or pie weights, and blind bake for 15 minutes.
Remove blind baked crusts from oven. Remove beans,then set crusts aside to cool while preparing the curd.
Cranberry Curd:
Combine cranberries and orange juice in a medium saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until cranberries soften and split, about 10 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh strainer (this will take a bit of elbow grease!) to remove skins.
Return strained cranberry-orange juice mixture to saucepan. Whisk in half of the sugar and heat on medium-low until steaming.
In a bowl, whisk together eggs, egg yolks, orange zest, cooled melted butter, vanilla, and remaining sugar.
Temper steaming cranberry-orange mixture into egg mixture, adding a few tablespoons at a time and whisking thoroughly after each addition.
Return entire mixture to saucepan and cook over low-medium heat, stirring frequently, about 10-12 minutes or until mixture has thickened.
Pour mixture into blind baked crusts. Bake at 180° C / 360° F for 12-15 minutes or until curd sets (it should be jiggly, but not runny.) Remove from oven and cool completely, at least 1-2 hours, before proceeding to meringue.
Italian Meringue:
In a saucepan, combine sugar and water. Over medium-high heat, cook sugar mixture to 116° C / 240° F.
Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, add egg whites and whip on high until stiff peaks form.
With mixer running, pour hot sugar mixture into egg whites and whip until thickened and completely cool, about 5-7 minutes.
Spoon meringue generously onto cooled pies (you can also use a piping bag if you’re feeling fancy!) Torch meringue with a blowtorch, or place under oven broiler for a few minutes until meringue has browned.
Serve immediately. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Notes
You will need a good digital thermometer for this recipe.
- Category: Pies and Tarts
- Method: Oven + Stovetop
- Cuisine: Dessert
