Lemon Meringue Pie

Lemon Meringue Pie

Delicious Lemon Meringue Pie! :)

Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in the mixer and mix well.

Add the shredded butter and mix well.

Add the water and mix well.

Form into a 4-inch disk, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Roll out the dough on a floured surface to about a 13-inch circle.

Place in the pie dish and trim off the excess dough with a sharp knife.

Freeze for at least 30 minutes.

When ready, preheat the oven to 375 degrees and place the rack in the lower-middle position.  Bake the pie crust for about 30 minutes, with foil and pie weights, or another pan, to keep weight on the crust so that it doesn't puff up.

Great!  Now, remove the weights and foil and continue to bake another 12 minutes, until completely done.

Now, let it cool completely.

Get the custard ready-- combine the water, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan and set aside.  Preheat the oven to 325 degrees, with a rack in the middle position.

Zest your lemons, then juice them.  Strain the juice.

Heat the sugar mixture, whisking constantly, until slightly translucent.

Then, add the egg yolks, two at a time.

Once jelly-like, take off the heat and cover with plastic wrap.

In another saucepan, combine the water and cornstarch and heat, whisking constantly, until thick.  Take off heat.

Combine the egg whites and vanilla extract in a mixer and mix on low speed until frothy.

Mix the sugar and the cream of tarter together, then add it slowly to the mixture, while the mixer is still going.  Whip until soft peaks form.

Add the cooked cornstarch mixture to the egg white mixture, slowly, until stiff peaks form.

Take off the plastic wrap covering the filling, and reheat for about 1 minute over low heat.  Place into the baked and cooled pie crust.

Add the egg whites carefully on top.  Make sure the egg whites connect with the crust.  Use a spoon to create peaks in the egg whites.  Bake for about 20 minutes, until the egg whites are golden.

Beautiful! :)  Now chill for at least 5 hours before serving.  Not a great pie to freeze.

Lemon Meringue Pie

Cooking time: 1 hour
Prep time: 2 hours
Total time: 3 hours
Servings: 12 (1/12 of pie)

Nutrition info per serving (1/12 of pie):
Calories: 259 calories
Fat: 11 g
Sodium: 202 mg
Carbs: 38 g
Fiber: 0 g
Protein: 4 g

Ingredients:
Crust:
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons butter, chilled and shredded
1/4 cup water

Pie Filling:
1 1/2 cups cold water
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (3 lemons)
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (3 lemons)
2 tablespoons butter

Pie Meringue:
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
4 large egg whites
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tarter

Directions:
1.  Mix the flour, sugar, and salt in a mixer, then add the butter.  Add water to mixer, until dough comes together.  Form into a 4-inch disk, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.
2.  Roll the dough into a 12-inch circle, then fit into pie plate, trimming off the excess dough and crimping the edges.  Freeze until firm, 30 minutes.
3.  Adjust rack to lower-middle of oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Bake pie crust for 30 minutes, with foil and pie weights.
4.  Once pie crust has baked for 30 minutes, take off the foil and the weights and bake for an additional 12 minutes.  Let cool completely.
5.  To make the filling, make sure all ingredients are set out.  Heat the water, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until it turns translucent.  Then, add the egg yolks, two at a time, the lemon zest, then lemon juice, and the butter, and stir until the mixture congeals.  Take off heat and cover with plastic wrap.
6.  Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  For the meringue:  Heat the water and the cornstarch in a suacepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it congeals.  Take off heat.
7.  Whip the egg whites and the vanilla extract in a mixer on low speed until frothy.  Then, mix together the sugar and the cream of tarter and slowly add it to the egg whites.  Mix until soft peaks form.
8.  Increase the speed of the mixer to medium and add the cooked cornstarch mixture and whip until stiff peaks are made.
9.  Heat up the filling over low heat for about 1 minute.  Pour into pie crust.  Then, add the egg white mixture on top, making sure that it touches the crust.  Use a spoon to create soft peaks.
10.  Bake the pie for 20 minutes, until the egg whites are golden brown.  Done!

**Adapted from The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book's Lemon Meringue Pie recipe and Single-Crust Pit Dough recipe**

Delicious and totally worth all of the work!  Enjoy! :)