Chocolate Orange Meringue Pie

This pie is disgustingly rich; not for the faint tastebudded.

Short Sweet Pastry:

1 Egg 

50g Icing Sugar

125g Butter, softened

1/4 tsp Salt

200g Flour

Beat egg and sugar until well mixed. Beat in butter, don't worry if it looks a little curdled. Sift in flour and salt and mix well. Knead together, wrap in clingfilm and chill for at least 30 min. Roll out on floured surface and line pie dish with 2 cm extra around edge. Fold this back over to make a double thick edge and flute by pressing between thumb and index and middle fingers. 

Prick pastry and line with 3 layers of tin foil pressed firmly into base of pie. 

Bake for 10 min at 180C, remove tinfoil and bake another 5 min. Cool and remove from pie dish before filling. 

Filling:

300ml Cream

250g Dark Chocolate

4 tbsp Squeezed Orange Juice (about 3 oranges)

3 Egg Whites

1/4 tsp Cream of Tartar

150g Caster Sugar

Warm cream, remove from heat and add broken chocolate. Stir until melted, combined and smooth. Stir in orange juice, mix well and cool in fridge for 30 min or until beginning to set. Beat with electric mixer until thick and beginning to form. Pour into pie base.

Create meringue by beating egg whites and cream of tartar until peaks form. Gradually add sugar and beat until thick and glossy and the sugar has dissolved. 

Spread over pie and bake until light golden brown. Set in fridge for at least 1 hour.