Sour oranges may have been the first citrus fruits to find their way into pies in the Sunshine State, although their popularity has since been eclipsed by the diminutive key lime. Originally brought to Florida by Spanish settlers, the Seville orange lends its bitter notes to everything from marmalade to Cuban mojo sauce. The oranges can now be found growing wild throughout Northeast Florida, but you won’t find them in grocery stores. Look for them at farmers’ markets, from growers like Urban Folk Farm, or even in your neighbor’s backyard! If you’re looking for a taste of Old Florida that hits that sweet and sour spot perfectly, this pie recipe is golden.

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. To make crust: Break up Maria cookies and place them in food processor. Pulse and process until cookies are medium-fine crumbs (alternatively, the cookies can be placed in a Ziploc bag and crushed by hand with a rolling pin). Pour crumbs into a mixing bowl. Stir melted butter into cookie crumbs and mix with a wooden spoon until crumbs are evenly moistened.

3. Press crumb mixture into bottom and sides of a 9- or 10-inch pie plate. Bake crust until light golden brown and appears set, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven.

4. To make filling: Place the egg yolks and sour orange zest in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low, and gradually add sweetened condensed milk to mixer bowl. Increase speed to high and continue to whip until thickened, about 4 more minutes. Reduce speed to low, stir in sour orange juice and mix until just incorporated.

5. Pour filling into parbaked pie crust and smooth surface with a spatula. Place pie in oven and bake for 10 minutes, until filling is just set. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool, at least 10 minutes before topping with meringue.

6. To make meringue: Increase oven temperature to 400°. Place 4 reserved egg whites in a clean mixer bowl with cream of tartar and whip on high speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add ⅓ cup granulated sugar and whip on high until stiff peaks form. Spread or pipe meringue over top of pie, being sure to spread it to the edges of crust.

7. Bake meringue topped pie for 5 to 10 minutes, until meringue is golden and evenly toasted, rotating the pie occasionally so it evenly browns. Cool finished pie to room temperature, then refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving.

*Note: If sour oranges are not available, you can approximate the flavor by mixing ½ cup fresh squeezed orange juice and ¼ cup fresh lemon juice, using the zest of both fruits. Many people in Northeast Florida also have access to calamondin trees, which bear a smaller sour citrus fruit. If using fresh calamondin juice, you will need 12-18 calamondin to yield the ¾ cup of juice for this recipe.