When we were kids, my sister and I were allowed to choose the birthday cakes my mom would make for us. My choice was always either Boston cream or yellow cake with strawberries, custard and whipped cream. Simple and classic. My sister’s was lemon meringue pie. Why was a 6-year-old specifically requesting a lemon meringue pie, you ask? I don’t know, probably for the same reason that as a 4-year-old I loved to snack on potato rounds with crème fraîche and caviar. Regardless of where our sophisticated taste derived from early in life, my mom dutifully whipped up some mile-high lemon meringue every December.
I’m pretty sure my mom’s delicious lemon meringue pie was Martha Stewart’s recipe, though it’s been a few years since she’s made it. It was frankly never my favorite – too much citrus is really not my thing. But this December I had a sudden craving for it, maybe as a little nod to my sister’s birthday, or maybe I was just looking for a challenge. I looked in the Beekman brothers’ dessert book, which has become my go-to spot for sweets these days, and found a great recipe that came out flawlessly.
Whenever my mom’s pie came out growing up, people would “ooh” and “aah” because, admit it, a lemon meringue pie looks so impressive. Bright yellow lemon custard is piled high with perfectly mounded meringue and then baked until it’s golden in spots, just like a toasty s’more. And even though I’m not a huge fan of, say, lemon bars, the sweetness of the meringue is enough to offset the tartness of the custard. The pie is also a lesson in contrasts, between the crunchy pie crust, smooth custard and fluffy meringue.
Do yourself a favor. In bleakest January and February when there’s not an in-season fruit to be found besides lemons, stock up and give this pie a try. It looks about 500% more difficult than it actually is to make. Test it out on the most sophisticated 6-year-old you know and see what she thinks.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, cold
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, very cold and cut into small cubes
- 1/4 cup ice water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup water
- 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 3 large egg yolks
- 4 large egg whites
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- First, prepare the crust. In a food processor, pulse the flour, sugar and salt to combine. Add the cold butter and pulse for approximately 10 seconds, or until the mixture resembles course meal. Drizzle in the ice water while pulsing the food processor, for no more than 30 seconds, until the dough begins to come together.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and shape it into a disc. Refrigerate for at least an hour.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a 12-inch round. Roll the dough around the rolling pin and then fit it into a 9-inch pie plate without stretching it, pressing the dough into the bottom and against the sides of the pan. With a pair of scissors or a paring knife, trim the dough to leave a 1-inch overhang around the edge. Fold the overhang in over the rim to make a double layer of dough and, with your fingers, crimp the dough all around. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before baking. (This helps to relax the dough and prevents it from shrinking once baked.)
- Set a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl and keep at the ready for straining the filling. In a large, heavy-bottom saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, salt, water, lemon juice, cream and egg yolks. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, for 10 minutes, or until the mixture has the consistency of honey. Strain and let cool to room temperature.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line the pie shell with foil or parchment, leaving an overhang, and fill with pie weights or dried beans to weight the crust down. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the foil (or paper) and weights and bake for 10 minutes longer, or until baked through and crisp. Increase the oven temperature to 450°F.
- In a bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the egg whites and salt until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Gradually, about 1 tablespoon at a time, add the sugar, beating until stiff, glossy peaks form, adding in the vanilla toward the end. Scoop the meringue onto the filling, making sure it covers the filling completely and is anchored to the crust. Use a spatula to make large swoops in the meringue. Bake for 5 minutes, or until the meringue is set and browned in spots. Let cool. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
Notes
https://www.thekitchenchronicles.com/2016/01/15/lemon-meringue-pie/
