Lemon Meringue Pie
A lemon meringue pie is an absolutely delicious dessert. From the flakey pie crust, to the perfectly sweet lemon filling, to the meringue on top, you will adore this pie.
Ingredients
- 1 pie crust homemade or store bought
Lemon Filling
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar (297 grams)
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon table salt
- 1 1/2 cups milk (340.5 grams)
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice about 2 to 4 lemons (112 grams)
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest about 2 lemons
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 egg yolks see note
Meringue
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 6 egg whites
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (99 grams)
Instructions
Pie Crust
- Roll out the pie crust and put in a deep 9-inch pie pan. Wrap with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.1 pie crust
- Take the pie crust out of the refrigerator and take off the plastic wrap. Line the pie crust with parchment paper. On top of the paper, place pie weights (loose change or dry beans also work well). Spread them so that they start to go up the edges. Bake the pie crust for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the crust and lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
Lemon Filling
- In a medium-sized saucepan, off of the heat, whisk together sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt. Then stir in the milk and lemon juice. Finally, stir in the lemon zest.1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons all purpose flour, 3 tablespoons cornstarch, 1/4 teaspoon table salt, 1 1/2 cups milk, 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil stirring often. Stir in the butter. Whisk in the egg yolks, 2 at a time. The mixture should be a thick pudding consistency. Remove from the heat and set aside.2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 4 egg yolks
Meringue Topping
- Combine the cornstarch and water in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir occasionally, and continue cooking until the liquid goes from white to slightly cloudy and has just begun to thicken. Remove from the heat and set aside.1/2 cup water, 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites, vanilla, and cream of tartar until they are foamy, about 1 minute. Slowly add the sugar to the egg whites. Continue beating until soft peaks form.6 egg whites, 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Slowly add the cornstarch and water mixture. Continue beating until stiff peaks form.
Putting it Together
- Bring the lemon mixture back to a boil while stirring. It needs to be hot in order for the meringue to not separate from it after baking. Pour the hot lemon mixture into the pre-baked pie crust.
- As soon as the lemon mixture is in the pie crust, add the meringue to the top of the lemon mixture. Spread the meringue to the edges of the pie, so it is touching the crust. This will prevent it from shrinking. Once it is all added, use the back of a spoon to create a design of peaks.
- Bake the pie for 20 to 25 minutes or until the meringue is golden. Allow the pie to cool completely before slicing and serving.
Notes
This recipe calls for 4 egg yolks and 6 egg whites. When you separate the egg yolks for the lemon filling, save the egg whites. You will then only need to add two more egg whites to make the meringue. This will mean a grand total of six eggs, not ten.