This is the first pie I made when I got married. Doc loves anything with lemon, especially pie! Sometimes I use Meyer lemons in place of regular lemons because they aren’t as sour. Native to China, Meyer lemons are a cross between a lemon and a regular juicing orange or mandarin orange.
Lemon Meringue Pie
One (9-inch) baked pie shell
Lemon zest from 1 lemon
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice from 2 to 3 lemons
1/2 cup water
6 tablespoons cornstarch
1 and 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon iodized salt
3 large egg yolks (save whites for the meringue)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 and 1/2 cups boiling water
Meringue, recipe follows
Bake and completely cool pie shell. Pre-heat oven to 350ºF. Zest one lemon. Set aside. Juice lemons. Measure 1/2 cup lemon juice. Add 1/2 cup water to lemon juice. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan mix cornstarch, granulated sugar, and salt together with a wire whisk. Add lemon juice and water to cornstarch mixture and whisk until completely incorporated. Add egg yolks. Whisk until incorporated. Add butter. Gradually add boiling water. Whisk until incorporated.
Bring the mixture to a full boil over medium high heat, whisking the entire time. After filling thickens, reduce heat and let simmer 1 minute more. Add lemon zest. Pour filling into baked pie shell. Cover filling with meringue and bake (recipe below).
Meringue
3 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup granulated sugar
Pre-heat oven to 350ºF. Beat egg whites, cream of tartar and vanilla on high speed with a mixer until soft peaks form (the peaks will stand up then fall over). Gradually add sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Spread meringue over hot lemon filling until it touches the pie crust. Bake 15 to 20 minutes until lightly browned.
Mary Duke Cooks! 