Lemon Meringue Pie

I made this pie almost a whole month ago for my Uncle Darryl's birthday and I am just getting around to posting it now - how is that possible!? I hardly remember making this Lemon Meringue Pie, but I will do my best to detail all the steps for you! The original recipe is from a blog called Crazy for Crust - how cute is that?! You can find it HERE.

Start by making a pie crust and pre-baking it in an 8'' or 9'' pie plate. You could buy pre-made pie crust from the store or you could make your own pie crust! You can read all about how I do pie crust HERE. I included a little video in that post to share some extra tips! The pie crust should be cooked and completely cooled before filling it!

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk 1 1/2 cup of water, 1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar, 5 Tablespoons of cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice and 1-2 Tablespoons of lemon zest together. Stir the mixture often until it is thick and bubbling.

*Quick note about the lemon zest... the original recipe calls for 1 Tablespoon, but I increased it to 2 Tablespoons. it was tart but it was so good!

At first, I had this mixture over medium-low heat and nothing was happening for the longest time (it felt like hours! 😉) So I upped the heat and just kept a closer eye on it. If you are planning on stirring the filling constantly, you could easily put it on higher heat and it will thicken much faster! Another thing to note is how quickly this mixture thickens! Nothing was happening and then all of a sudden it was thick as can be! Once it thickens, you will want to get it off of the heat source a.s.a.p.! So I recommend keeping a close eye on the pot!

Lightly beat 4 egg yolks together in a medium mixing bowl - the medium mixing bowl business seems silly because the egg yolks are so little, but it will be important very soon! When you are separating the egg, save the whites in a separate medium mixing bowl, you'll use them for the meringue later!

Once the eggs are lightly beaten, pour half of the hot lemon mixture into the egg yolks, stirring constantly. It is very helpful to have second set of hands at this point! One person to do the stirring and the other to do the pouring. It is important to stir constantly as you don't want the eggs to scramble!

Then pour the egg mixture from the mixing bowl back into the saucepan, still stirring constantly! Bring the mixture to gentle boil, then remove it from the heat and mix in 3 Tablespoons of butter until it is completely melted.

Pour the lemon filling into the prepared pie crust and set the filled pie aside while you prep the meringue.

In the medium bowl where you set aside the egg whites, add 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Use a hand mixer to beat the mixture until soft peaks form - the tips that rise up should curl back down slightly.

Gradually add in 1/2 cup of granulated sugar while still mixing with the electric beater. Continue to mix until stiff peaks form - the tips should stand right up.

Spread the meringue over the top of the lemon filling - the meringue should completely cover the lemon filling, touching the crust on all sides. Use a spoon to form decorative peaks in the meringue. I debated piping the meringue onto the pie but that seemed like a whole lot of work and I think this looked just as pretty! If you are wanting an extra wow factor with your meringue, you could pipe it onto the pie!

Bake the pie for 30 minutes at 300 degrees Fahrenheit. After 30 minutes, the peaks of the meringue should be browned. Chill the pie in the fridge for at least 5 hours before serving. I left mine in overnight and they were ready to go the next day! :)

LEMON MERINGUE PIE
makes one 8'' or 9'' pie

ingredients

for the lemon filling...
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
5 Tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1-2 Tablespoons lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 egg yolks
3 tablespoons butter

for the meringue...
4 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup granulated sugar

directions
1. Start by pre-making (or buying!) and baking an 8'' or 9'' pie crust. Set the crust aside to cool while you make the filling
2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk water, granulated sugar, cornstarch, salt, freshly squeezed lemon juice and  lemon zest together. Stir the mixture often until it is thick and bubbling.
3. Lightly beat 4 egg yolks together in a medium mixing bowl (save the whites in a separate bowl for the meringue!). Once the eggs are lightly beaten, pour half of the hot lemon mixture into the egg yolks, stirring constantly. It is important to stir constantly as you don't want the eggs to scramble!
4. Pour the egg mixture from the mixing bowl back into the saucepan, still stirring constantly! Bring the mixture to gentle boil, then remove it from the heat and mix in the butter until it is completely melted into the filling.
5. Pour the lemon filling into the prepared pie crust and set the filled pie aside while you prep the meringue.
6. In a medium bowl add the 4 egg whites,, the cream of tartar and the vanilla extract. Use a hand mixer to beat the mixture until soft peaks form - the tips that rise up should curl back down slightly.
7. Gradually add the granulated sugar while still mixing with the electric beater. Continue to mix until stiff peaks form - the tips should stand right up.
8. Spread the meringue over the top of the lemon filling - the meringue should completely cover the lemon filling, touching the crust on all sides. Use a spoon to form decorative peaks in the meringue.
9. Bake the pie for 30 minutes at 300 degrees Fahrenheit. After 30 minutes, the peaks of the meringue should be browned. Chill the pie in the fridge for at least 5 hours before serving.

Some of that seemed super confusing! Let me know if you have any questions!