Marvelous Lemon Meringue Pie

My dad was in town last week for graduation {YAY BU COM!} and he brought a ton of lemons for me from his backyard in California. Why, you ask? Just because So I could make him lemon meringue pie. My dad actually taught me how to make this delicious dessert years ago, but since then, the student has surpassed the master, aka I make a bangin’ pie and my dad’s attempts have been…well, not impressive, to say the least (Sorry Dad!). This is probably one of the harder recipes that I have made, since it requires a lot of attention, many steps and everything has to be just right in order for the entire pie to work. But the result is scrumptious. I love this pie–it’s the perfect summer recipe because of it’s light, fresh flavor, but I make this pie year-round as well {my family often has this in addition to or instead of pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving}. Lemon meringue rivals the other, absolutely favorite dessert, blackberry pie–always homemade in the summer from my dad’s backyard blackberry patch.

The happy graduate

 

I apologize for the lack of pictures in this post…this pie went quickly, but I managed to get a picture of the last piece {desserts tend to last longer when I’m home alone and the only one eating them. M&Ms, on the other hand, are a different story}.

the last piece…

Don’t be discouraged if this doesn’t turn out exactly perfect, it takes time and practice!

Lemon Meringue Pie

Ingredients

• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• 4 eggs, separated {one bowl for eggs yolks, one bowl for egg whites}
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 1/8 teaspoon salt (just a pinch!)
•  1 1/2 warm water
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 9-inch pie crust

For Meringue

• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup sugar

Directions

Pie Filling

• If you are using a pre-made pie crust, prepare according to package directions (each one is slightly different). If you are making from scratch, follow from recipe book. I’m lazy and never make my own pie crust–the store bought ones taste just as good to me!
• Pre-heat oven to (number) degrees
• In a small saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice and water. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring continuously {no lumps!} until sauce thickens and boils. This should take about 20-25 minutes. The sauce usually starts to boil along the edge of the pot–I like to be able to see a couple bubbles before I’m satisfied.
• Remove pot from heat.
• Pour a spoonful of the warm sauce into the egg yolks, beating quickly to avoid lumps {this process is called tempering–if you poured all the egg yolks into the warm sauce, the yolks would cook. This way, both the eggs and sauce become roughly the same temperature)
• Pour the remaining egg mixture into the sauce. Return to low heat.
• Stir egg mixture until thicken, but do not boil {one or two bubbles is ok, but once you see a boil starting, turn the heat off!}
• Mix in butter. When butter is combined, pour filling into pie crust

Meringue

• Pour egg whites into a large bowl, or bowl of your stand mixer
• Add salt
• Beat until soft peaks form {when you take the beaters out, the egg whites should stand up but then bend over immediately, you don’t want them standing straight up yet–those are stiff peaks}
• Slowly add it sugar, beat until sugar is dissolved and stiff peaks form.

Assemble

• Spread meringue over the pie filling. Using a spatula, distribute evenly and create decorative peaks.
• Bake for 10 minutes, until meringue is golden.
• Let cool overnight {if you can!} Otherwise you can cool the pie in the fridge for several hours. Refrigerate leftovers

the finished pie

For whatever reason, this pie was h.e.a.v.y on the meringue. I think maybe it was from using the KitchenAid and its super powerful mixing powers. Either way, my dad ate a piece every day he was here, and isn’t that the validation us bakers constantly strive for?

Happy happy Memorial Day Weekend! Remember–it’s a cake walk!