Lemon Meringue Pie
For years – 20 or so – I have been making lemon meringue pies for my husband because I thought it was his favorite. Last Thanksgiving I made a pecan pie. I rarely make them because I find them too sweet. At dinner my husband exclaimed ‘Pecan pie, my favorite!” Oh well. It is good to learn something new.
I’ve tried all sorts of recipes for lemon meringue pie and most of them take a long time. A few years ago it dawned on me that lemon curd was the perfect lemon filling because it makes the pie quick to create and not a chore. If you buy a crust, it is a cinch. I often make the dough and the lemon curd a day ahead.
At the Koffee Kup in Hico, Texas they make a lemon meringue pie with a meringue top well over 6” high. It is a marvel. In Hico you’ll also find wonderful chocolate confections from Wiseman House Chocolates.
The meringue in the lemon meringue pie does not reach the 6” height but add another egg white and you might make reach it!
Lemon Meringue Pie
one 10″ pie
Ingredients:
1 Old Fashioned Pie Crust, made with this recipe.
Lemon Curd, made by doubling this recipe.
Meringue:
3 egg whites (room temperature is best but not essential)
1/2 c sugar
Utensils:
Mixer, 1 large mixing bowl (very clean), spatula
Method:
If you are doing this in one day, start by making the pie dough. While it is cooling in the fridge make the lemon curd. While the curd is cooling, roll out the pie dough and place it in a 10-inch pie pan. Chill the pie crust one more time to stop shrinkage and blind bake it. Pour the lemon curd into the baked pie crust.
Finally, preheat the oven to 400F and make the meringue: whisk the egg whites until they begin to get fluffy. Add half the sugar while continuing to beat. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks just begin to form. Add the rest of the sugar and beat till stiff peaks form.
Spread the meringue on the lemon curd, making sure to completely cover the curd and sealing the meringue to the crust.
Place the pie into the 400F oven and bake for 7 minutes. The meringue will be slightly crisp, golden brown on the outside and lovely and soft on the inside.
