Lemon Meringue Pie is one of my favorite desserts. I don’t make pies often, but when I do, I think of baking with my Granny in her kitchen. I had always heard how easy it is to ruin the meringue and I was so nervous about making a mistake. Not once did my grandmother rush me, or make me feel even more nervous. She took her time teaching me, often simply standing next to me to ensure that I was safe, and to answer my questions. It’s a memory that I will cherish forever.
Fast forward a couple of years (okay, closer to twenty years), and I am still feeling intimidated by the recipe. I can hear my Grandmother telling me to watch for the peaks to form as I beat the egg whites, vanilla, and salt. It’s as though she’s in the kitchen baking with me and it’s a feeling that I will hold on to.
Unfortunately, today’s pie didn’t turn out exactly how I had expected. It tasted great, but let’s just say that I need practice… a lot of it. The crust was easy enough to do, but it all fell slightly apart during the filling and meringue stages. At the end, I was left wishing my grandmother could somehow show me a sign of what had gone wrong. I know she would have been proud of me for at least trying. It’s just taking me a bit longer to feel the same amount of pride.
However, I am using this as another lesson for the new year- be kinder to yourself while learning! It’s okay to feel disappointed, but it’s important to not let this stop you from trying again. Since I know that I can make the crust well, I may buy the crust the next time I make this so I can focus my attention to the filling. Practice makes perfect, right? Without further ado, here is the recipe for lemon meringue pie, courtesy of The Recipe Rebel.
Lemon Meringue Pie
Ingredients
Pie crust:
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose Flour
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 cup Cold Butter, cut into cubes
- 3-4 Tbsp Cold Water
Filling:
- 1 1/2 cups Sugar
- 1/2 cup Corn Starch
- 1 1/2 cups Water
- 4 egg Yolks
- 1/4 cup Lemon Juice
- Zest from 2 lemons
- 2 Tbsps butter
Meringue:
- 1/2 cup Water
- 1 Tbsp Corn Starch
- 4 Egg Whites
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- A pinch of Salt
- 1/2 cup Sugar
Instructions
Pie crust:
- In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, and salt.
- Cut in butter with a pastry cutter or fork until you see pea-sized chunks of butter remaining.
- Gradually add in cold water, stirring each time until you can press it together.
- Form it into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or freeze for 30 minutes until chilled.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Roll out to fit a 9″ pie plate.
- Press into the pie plate and over the sides. Trim the edges and crimp or leave as desired. Poke the bottom and the sides with a fork all over to help prevent puffing (or use pie weights if you have them).
- Bake for 10-12 minutes until light golden brown. Set aside while you make the filling.
Filling:
- In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, water, cornstarch, egg yolks, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
- Cook over medium – medium-high high, whisking constantly until thickened — it will be thick, slightly thicker than pudding when warm. This can take 10-15 minutes, but don’t rush it. Remove from heat and stir in butter.
- Pour hot filling into the pie crust and make the meringue.
Meringue:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a small saucepan, whisk together the water and cornstarch. Cook over medium heat until thickened and clear. Set aside but keep warm.
- In a clean bowl with clean beaters, beat egg whites, vanilla, and salt until soft peaks form.
- Gradually add in the sugar, beating until stiff glossy peaks form.
- Gradually add in the warm corn starch mixture, beating constantly, until completely incorporated and the meringue is light and fluffy and holds stiff peaks.
- Spread meringue onto hot pie filling (it’s important that the filling is still hot!) and spread right to the edge of the pie crust. The meringue must touch the edges all the way around.
- Bake at 375 F just until the tops of the meringue are light golden brown — don’t overbake.
- Let rest on the counter on a wire rack for 1-2 hours, then refrigerate for 5-6 hours until chilled, or overnight.
- Slice and serve.