Mom's Lemon Meringue Pie
Servings: 8
This recipe starts with a flakey homemade pie crust that is filled with smooth and creamy lemon filling and topped with toasted meringue. It is totally irresistible!
Ingredients
Pie Crust
- 1 All Butter Pie Crust
- 1 Egg White
- 1 Teaspoon Water
For the Filling
- 1 Cup Sugar
- 1/3 Cup Cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1 1/3 Cups Water hot
- 2 1/2 teaspoons Lemon Zest about one and a half lemons zested
- 1/3 Cup Lemon Juice about 2 lemons- see note
- 4 Egg Yolks reserve egg whites for meringue
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
For the Meringue
- 6 Egg Whites room temperature
- 1/8 teaspoon Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Cream of Tarter
- 1/2 cup Sugar
Instructions
Pie Crust
- Prepare the pie crust and then chill the dough in a glass or ceramic plate for about 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees with a cookie sheet if you're extra worried about a soggy crust. I generally skip this.
- Poke a few holes on the bottom and sides of the crust, about 8-10 and lay parchment on top. Fill 1/2-2/3 the way full of pie weights or dried beans.
- Bake for 17-20 minutes then remove from the oven and take out the weights and parchment.
- Bake for an additional 5-10 minutes.
- Brush with an egg wash which has been whisked together (egg white and water or 1 egg yolk and 2-3 teaspoons heavy cream.) and bake 1-2 minutes more to seal the crust.
For the Filling
- Combine corn starch, salt, and sugar in a large sauce or stock pan.
- Blend in water until smooth.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick and clear (5-8 min).
- Remove from heat.
- Stir in lemon juice and zest.
- Cook 2 min.
- Blend a small amount of hot liquid with egg yolks-whisking quickly- to bring the yolks up to temperature without cooking them too fast.
- Return to pan and cook 2 min. stirring constantly.
- Remove from heat, add butter.
- Pour immediately into cooked pie shell (I like to use 1/2 a recipe of Kristin's magic pie crust).
- Take a large spatula full of meringue and spread it around the outer edge of the pie like a donut, pressing it against the crust to completely seal together crust and meringue. Pile all of the remaining meringue into the center like a large dome and switch to a small spoon. Using the back of the spoon, swirl and lift the spoon to create mountain peaks and valleys.
- Bake at 375 10-12 min, or until meringue is golden brown in the valleys.
- Serve room temp or chilled. Store leftovers in the fridge.
For the Meringue
- Beat egg whites with salt and tarter on high until soft peaks form.
- Add sugar gradually while beating.
- Beat until stiff peaks form.
- Spread meringue on top of cooled lemon filling.
- Use the back of a spoon or spatula to create peaks.
- Bake as directed above.
Notes
For more lemon flavor, increase the lemon juice or both zest and juice, but however much juice you increase you need to decrease in water. If you go 1/2 cup juice, take out a few tablespoons of water.
See notes in post on avoid a weeping pie, separated and shrunk meringue and soggy crust.
store in the refrigerator
Nutrition Facts
Mom's Lemon Meringue Pie
Amount Per Serving (1 slice)
Calories 215
Calories from Fat 45
% Daily Value*
Fat 5g8%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Cholesterol 81mg27%
Sodium 232mg10%
Potassium 36mg1%
Carbohydrates 42g14%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 38g42%
Protein 2g4%
Vitamin A 185IU4%
Vitamin C 4mg5%
Calcium 9mg1%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.