Apple Custard Meringue Pie

(Note: We interrupt our regularly scheduled blogging to bring you the following recipe, that I promised to Sam some time ago. Thank you.)

OK, the ingredients are kind of mixed in because you do the recipe in steps. It's very important, with this one, you read it all first, because it lays everything out carefully. SO:

For Pie Crust (I did use this crust, but you can always buy one if you're not a pastry maker):
1 1/4 cups sifted AP flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
6 tbsp shortening
add about 3 tbsp milk or water to bind ingredients. Knead gently a few seconds. Shape into a patty, and roll a 13-inch circle. Line an 8 or 9 inch pie plate with the dough. Sprinkle bottom of dough with 2 tbsp dry bread crumbs.

The Apple Filling
1 lb apples (Jonathan or winesap preferred, but I'm pretty sure I just used Macintosh or something, peeled and sliced thin
1/4 to 1/3 cup packed brown sugar (it doesn't specify, I used light)
a little cinnamon and nutmeg
1 tbp butter in pieces

Arrange apples in unbaked pie shell. Sprinkle sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon over apples. Add butter. Bake at 450 for 15 minutes; then reduce heat to 350 and cover pie with double thickness of aluminum foil to prevent drying out. Bake about 30 minutes at 350.
Meanwhile, prepare custard filling.

Custard

1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 cup AP flour
3 egg yolks combined with 1/2 cup cool milk (keep whites for meringue)
1 cup warm milk
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp vanilla

Combine sugar, yolks, flour, salt, and 1/2 cup cool milk. Stir until smooth. Add warm milk. Cook over medium heat, then reduce heat and cook very slowly about 5 minutes. When done, add butter. (If you start this as soon as you reduce the heat on the pie, they're done at about the same time, if memory serves. This was the first custard I ever made from scratch and I was ludicrously proud.)

Remove pie from oven. Pour hot custard over top. Set aside. Raise oven temp to 400 while preparing meringue.

Meringue

3 egg whites
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
6 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla

Add salt, cream of tartar, and vanilla to egg whites in mixing bowl, and beat until they form a very soft meringue that still slides out of the bowl. Add sugar a little at a time, and keep beating at high speed a minute or so after all the sugar has been added. (I'd go a little longer, as my meringue was still a little soft.)

Immediately spread meringue over pie, being sure to cover rim of crust with meringue. Sprinkle 1 tsp sugar over top. Place back in oven at 400 and bake 15 to 18 minutes or until golden. Remove, cool, and refrigerate several hours before cutting.

It's labor intensive, but fun, and I felt like I'd really done something special when it was done. My hubby's co-workers ate this thing in record time.