Lemon meringue pie

12

PREP TIME

30 min

TOTAL TIME

2 hrs

Serves

8

* PLUS 6 1/2 hours chilling time
Lemon meringue pie

Photo, Roberto Caruso.

Ditch the store-bought pie box. This lemon meringue pie is made completely from scratch, and will surely impress your guests at your next dinner party.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp granulated sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup cold unsalted butter , cubed
  • 1/4 cup cold lard , cubed
  • 3 to 6 tbsp ice water

Filling

  • 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 cups cold water
  • 1 tbsp grated lemon zest
  • 3/4 cup lemon juice
  • 5 egg yolks
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter

Meringue

  • 5 egg whites
  • 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar

Instructions

  • PASTRY: Stir flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add butter and lard. Using your fingertips, quickly work mixture until finely crumbled. Stir in ice water just until pastry can be formed into a ball, adding more ice water if needed. Wrap in plastic wrap and shape into a disc. Chill for 1 hour.
  • POSITION rack in bottom of oven, and preheat to 400°F. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface into a 12-in. circle. Lift onto a 9-in. pie plate and press dough onto bottom and up sides of plate, leaving a 1-in. overhang. Fold overhang under and flute edge. Freeze for 15 min. Prick dough all over with fork, then place on baking sheet. Line with a square of foil, then fill shell with dried beans and bake on bottom rack for 15 min. Remove foil and beans and continue baking until crust is golden, 6 to 8 min. Let cool on a rack.
  • FILLING: Whisk sugar, cornstarch, salt and water in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and comes to a boil, 7 to 8 min. Stir in lemon zest and juice until smooth. Beat egg yolks in a medium bowl. Add a third of hot cornstarch mixture to yolks, whisking constantly, then return mixture to saucepan. Boil, whisking constantly, for 1 min, then remove from heat. Stir in butter until combined, then pour into baked shell. Place plastic wrap directly onto lemon filling to prevent skin from forming and cool on a rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight.
  • MERINGUE: Preheat oven to 400°F. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium until foamy, 1 to 2 min. Beat in sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, until meringue is glossy and holds stiff peaks, 2 to 3 min. Spoon onto pie filling. Spread over filling, carefully sealing meringue to edge of crust to prevent shrinking. Bake on a baking sheet until meringue is light brown, about 5 min. Let cool 30 min. Refrigerate lemon meringue pie at least 30 min before serving.

 

Cooking Class: Lemon Meringue Pie

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Nutrition (per serving)

  • Calories
  • 399,
  • Protein
  • 5 g,
  • Carbohydrates
  • 60 g,
  • Fat
  • 16 g,
  • Fibre
  • 1 g,
  • Sodium
  • 262 mg.
  • Good source of
  • vitamin B12

Lemon Meringue Pie Kitchen Tips:

  • The pie crust can be blind baked 3 days ahead of time.
  • Making the pie without the meringue the day before allows the filling to cool completely. Make the meringue on the day you plan to serve it. This will keep the meringue from separating from the pie.
  • Meringue should be light, airy, smooth and shiny. To achieve height, egg whites should be at room temperature, and sugar should be added slowly and whipped until meringue is just glossy and holds soft peaks. Overwhipped meringue will break down once toasted in the oven.

 

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