Mmm… pie. Is there anything a slice of pie won’t fix? I’ve always felt that pie- good pie- is one of the best man-made inventions ever. I’m particularly fond of cold pie- taken straight from the chiller, often sans plate, eaten directly from the pie pan with a fork or spoon.
I know, I know. I can’t help it, though- pie does this to me. Especially great pie, like this dream of a Lemon Meringue Pie.
Have you ever had homemade Lemon Meringue Pie? It’s life-changing. But only if you really, really like lemons. And I do.
And here’s the thing: Lemon Meringue Pie seems like it’s a difficult thing to make from scratch. Its beautiful billowy gorgeousness can make it look like it’s made by a pro, but I promise you, this is one of the easiest pies there is. Especially if you start with store-bought frozen pie-crust.
Gorgeous Lemon Meringue Pie
For Lemon Layer:
4 egg yolks
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
For Meringue Layer:
4 egg whites
1 pinch cream of tartar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 (9-inch) pre-baked pie shell
Preheat your oven to 375F. You want to preheat for at least 15 minutes.
In a medium sized bowl, whisk egg yolks. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, combine cornstarch, water, sugar, and salt, whisking to combine. Put over medium heat, and- while stirring frequently with a wooden spoon- bring to a boil. Remove from heat, and SLOWLY whisk this hot mixture into your bowl of egg yolks. You’re tempering here, so do it slowly. You don’t want scrambled eggs.
*At this point, you want to make your meringue, so you can put it over the filling while the latter is still hot. In your mixer bowl, combine egg whites and cream of tartar. Beat until soft peaks form, then gradually add sugar, and continue beating to stiff, glossy, beautiful peaks.
Return the lemon filling mixture to the saucepan, put over LOW heat, and stir constantly for about a minute. Remove, and stir in butter, lemon juice and zest. Pour into pie shell, and top with meringue. Make sure you spread the meringue well to the edges of the crust (no holes!)
Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden.