Luscious Lemon Meringue Pie {PIE #5}

Envy is a Sin.

As I’ve mentioned before, my sister Janet is an amazing cook and baker. Since as far back as I can remember, our family started enjoying her lemon meringue pie. And I will admit here and now, the pie was wonderful, but what I really craved was the accolades that poured over her from all my family members as they consumed her tangy sweet lemon pie.

I have to think that it was precisely this point in my life that stirred my resolve to become a chef. It is that resolve that prompted me to practice and learn the craft of baking. For I knew that with success, I could share with those I loved (or hoped to love) wonderful and delicious creations from my kitchen. Love covers a multitude of sin.

Now this particular recipe for Lemon Meringue Pie came from my mother’s tattered and splattered three-ring binder copy of the Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook.

And I do recall my mother patiently teaching me the craft of making this multi-step recipe. She taught me, as she showed me, the proper way to separate the egg yolks from the whites, taking care to make sure the whites were complete free of any yolk. She went on to show me the correct way to combine the hot liquid bubbling on the stove to the egg yolks so the egg would not curdle. There is a trick to this, and I will share it in the directions of the recipe below.

Finally, beating the egg whites into a wonderful meringue is a skill she taught me. She showed me how to swirl the fluffy egg whites over the warm lemon custard before placing the pie in the oven under the broiler. Toasting up the meringue to a golden color transforms the pie into a thing of glory.

Traditionally, this pie has been made with a pâte brisée (or pastry crust). I concur that it is delicious, and so I provide my favorite Perfect Buttery Pie Crust recipe. Custard pies lend themselves wonderfully to cookie or graham cracker crusts, IMHO. Choose a cookie of your preference, Mother’s Coconut Cookies would make a terrific version. Follow these measurements: 1-1/3 cup cookie crumbs, 5 Tablespoons melted butter, and 1/4 cup sugar. Combine and press into a pie pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 13-15 minutes. Allow to cool before filling.

INGREDIENTS:

CRUST

1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut

1-1/4 cup all-purpose flour

3 Tablespoons granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

7 Tablespoons very cold unsalted butter, cut into 12-14 pieces

Approximately 1/4 cup ice water

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade, add coconut, and pulse until coconut is ground very fine. Add sugar, flour, salt and butter. Pulse again until butter is cut-into the dry ingredients, and looks like little bits. Add the water in a stream, while food processor in running. Pulse a few times and feel the dough. When pressed between your thumb and forefinger, it should stick together. If it does, then form the dough into a ball. If it doesn’t add a few more drops of ice water, repeating the process.

Once the dough has been formed into a ball, wrap it with plastic wrap, and place in refrigerator to rest for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

After dough has rested, flour a clean flat surface and roll out the dough to form the pie crust. The dough should be even and about 1/8” thick. Transfer the crust to a 9” pie dish and crimp the edge decoratively. IF the dough cracks, you can just press it back together in the pan. Prick the dough with a table fork on the sides and bottom to allow steam to escape as it bakes. Right here, I put the crust in the freezer for 15 minutes, and immediately place prepared crust in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.

Filling

1/3 cup cornstarch

1-1/2 cups water

1-1/3 cup granulated sugar

4 Large egg yolks (reserve egg whites for meringue)

2 teaspoons lemon zest

1/2 cup lemon juice

3 Tablespoons butter

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a separate bowl, slightly beat the egg yolks with a whisk and set aside.

In a medium saucepan combine the cornstarch, sugar and water. Bring to a bubbling boil over medium heat, stirring continually. While whisking the egg yolks, pour a thin stream of hot cornstarch mixture (approximately 1/2 cup) into the egg yolks. Then return egg yolks mixture into the saucepan, using the same method and again whisking continually. Bring this mixture to a bubbling boil. Remove from heat. Add lemon zest, lemon juice and butter. Stir until smooth. Pour into prepared pie crust.

Meringue

4 egg whites

Pinch of cream of tarter

4 Tablespoons granulated sugar

In a clean, stainless steel bowl, combine egg whites, sugar and cream of tarter. Beat on high for about 2 minutes, or until whites form stiff soft peaks. Immediately spread the meringue mixture over the lemon filling, being sure to extend the meringue all the way out to the crust edge creating a seal. Bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes, or until the meringue turns golden. Allow the pie to cool at room temperature before serving.