This recipe won first place in a field of 3000 entries in a Fla. orange dessert contents.

MERINGUE:

1 c. sugar
4 egg whites
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
Finely crushed walnuts

Heat oven to 275 degrees.

Beat egg whites until foamy, add cream of tartar and beat to stiff peaks. Gradually add one cup sugar and continue beating to very stiff peaks.

Spread over bottom and up side just to rim of well greased nine inch pie plate, making bottom 1/4 inch thick, side one inch thick. Sprinkle edge with crushed nuts.

Bake one hour or until light brown and crisp to touch. Cool.

FILLING:

4 egg yolks
1/2 c. sugar
2 tbsp. lemon juice
3 tbsp. grated orange rind
1/8 tsp. salt
5 oranges, sectioned
1 pt. heavy cream

Beat egg yolks slightly in top of double boiler; add sugar, lemon juice, orange rind and salt. Cook over boiling water, stirring constantly until thick, 8 to 10 minutes. Fold in 2 sectioned and diced oranges. Cool.

Whip one cup of the cream and fold into filling mixture. Pour this mixture into center of meringue shell and smooth over. Chill 12 hours or longer. (I make mine day before and it's good 2 days.)

Just before serving, whip remaining one cup cream; spoon in mounds on top of pie. Fill center with remaining three sectioned oranges. Top cream with grated orange rind and decorate with orange slices. (I serve pie on plates usually in kitchen and then carry in, therefore, after each piece is on plate I add fresh sectioned and diced oranges, then a scoop of whipped cream, topped only with grated orange. The remaining pie keeps better and a small serving is all anyone can eat after big meal--plus it is better that they want a bite more than to have 2 bites too many!)