Lemon meringue pie
By Kevin Williams
Tasty meringue can make a fruit filling a heavenly experience by covering it in a creamy bliss that complements. Dull, bland, meringue that slides off the top of your pie like the topping of a too-hot pizza is pointless. If a meringue is flavorless than what is the point?
I ran into this beauty of a pie recently at an Amish bakery and the meringue was cooked until just nice and golden brown sitting atop of an amazingly lemony filling.
With filling that tasty, I’ll leave the pie crust up to you. You can either make your own from scratch or just use a frozen store-bought one (blasphemy, I know). This recipe was sent to me by a Beachy Amish Mennonite woman. Electric mixers – and anything else electric -are perfectly permissible in their church.
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 1 pie
- 1¼ cups sugar
- ⅓ cup cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups cold water
- 3 egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
- 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice
- Meringue
- 3 egg whites
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ cup sugar
- Preheat oven to 350.
- In 2-quart saucepan, mix 1¼ cups sugar, the cornstarch and salt.
- Gradually stir in cold water until smooth.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils.
- Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
- In small bowl, beat egg yolks with fork.
- Stir about ¼ cup of hot mixture into egg yolks.
- Gradually stir yolk mixture into hot mixture.
- Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils.
- Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Remove from heat.
- Stir in butter, lemon peel and lemon juice.
- Cool slightly, about 15 minutes.
- Pour into cooled baked shell.
- In small deep bowl with electric mixer, beat egg whites, cream of tartar and vanilla on medium speed about 1 minute or until soft peaks form.
- On high speed, gradually beat in sugar 1 tablespoon at a time until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved.
- Spoon meringue onto hot filling; spread to edge of crust to seal well and prevent shrinkage.
- Bake at 350°F 12 to 15 minutes or until meringue is light golden brown.
- Cool completely, about 1 hour.
- Refrigerate until filling is set, about 3 hours.
- Store in refrigerator.
