Plum Meringue Pie

Ingredients

• One single crust recipe for Easy Pie Dough, shaped and chilled in a pie plate
• 12 red plums, pitted and cut into eighths
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup of granulated sugar for fruit, additional 1/2 cup granulated sugar for meringue
• 1/4 cup instant tapioca
• 3 egg whites
• 1/8 cup water
• Pinch of cream of tartar
• Pinch of salt

Directions

1. Set the oven to 425 degrees F. Put the plums in a bowl and give them a taste, because they’ll tell you what they need: if they’re sharply tart, use the full 1/2 cup of sugar, and if they’re already fairly sweet, stick with 1/4 cup. Add the tapioca, toss everything until the plum pieces are well coated, and let the bowl sit for 10 minutes. Spoon the plum mixture evenly into the chilled, prepared pie crust, then bake it at 425 degrees F. After ten minutes, rotate the pie and let it bake for five minutes more before turning the oven down to 350 degrees. If the plums begin to burn, loosely tent the filling with a piece of tin foil. Continue baking for another 20-25 minutes, until you see the filling bubbling across the top. Take the pie out of the oven and let it cool.
2. When the pie is cool, add the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt to the bowl of a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan, stirring just enough so there are no dry patches, while being careful not to scatter sugar up the sides of the pan. Bring the mixture to a boil and keep cooking until it reaches 235 degrees, brushing down the sides of the pot often with a water-dipped brush. As the sugar gets close to temperature, start whipping the egg whites until they’re foamy but still very wet. With the mixer running on low to medium speed, pour the hot sugar in slowly, then raise the speed and whisk until the meringue forms firm peaks, about 4 minutes.
3. Spread the meringue over the pie, using a spoon to shape it however you like. Slide the pie under the oven broiler and keep a close eye on it while the top caramelizes and turns golden brown. It goes fast, so watch carefully and take it out when it’s as dark as you want it. Serve immediately.