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Lemon Meringue Pie

Marla Hingley
Tips - use brown eggs for a brighter-yellow looking pie. cut pie using a knife dipped in hot water.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 45 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Total Time 1 hr 15 mins
Servings 8

Ingredients
  

Filling

  • 1 cup sugar
  • ¼ cup + 2 Tbsp cornstarch
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 2 ½ cups cold water divided
  • 5 egg yolks*
  • 2 Tbsp butter softened & cubed
  • 1 ½ Tbsp lemon zest
  • 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

Swiss Meringue*

  • 5 egg whites
  • 1/3- 3/4 cup sugar to taste
  • ½ tsp cream of tartar

Instructions
 

  • Prepare pastry and press into a greased 9” pie plate. Chill for 30 minutes, lightly prick to prevent air bubbles from forming then bake as directed until edges are lightly browned. Allow to cool completely.
  • For filling, using a heavy-duty non-reactive saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch and salt. Whisk in ¼ cup cold water until smooth, then whisk in the remaining cold water. Over medium-low heat cook mixture, stirring continuously with a spatula once mixture comes to a boil, about 5 minutes. Once it is thick and gel-like, whisk vigorously to smooth out, then cook another minute using a spatula to pull mixture from sides and bottom to prevent scorching. Remove from heat.
  • In a medium bowl whisk egg yolks until smooth. Slowly ladle in ½ of the hot gel mixture, whisking continuously until incorporated. Repeat with another ½ cup to fully temper the eggs. Pour the egg mixture into the saucepan, whisking to combine. Return pot to heat and bring back to a boil, about 5 minutes, using a spatula to keep the mixture moving to prevent scorching. Once thick, remove from heat and dot with butter, pushing butter under the surface. Allow to stand for a minute for the butter to melt, then gently stir and add in the lemon juice and zest.
  • If desired, sprinkle cooled crust with ¼- ½ cup of crushed gingersnap cookies (for added flavor and to keep the crust crisp), then pour over filling.
  • For the Swiss meringue - Prepare a double boiler with simmering water, making sure that the bowl does not touch the water beneath. In a large bowl whisk egg whites until frothy. Whisk in the sugar 2 Tbsp at a time until you reach your desired sweetness. Place bowl over double boiler and stir gently but constantly – you don’t want to add air to the eggs at this point, just to keep them moving so they don’t cook. Heat until temperature reads between 115-120°F on an instant read thermometer, and sugar is completely dissolved (you can tell by placing a bit of the mixture between your fingers and rubbing them together to feel for any grittiness). Remove from heat and whisk in the cream of tartar. Using a hand mixer, beat until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes. Take care not to over-beat, or the mixture can ‘break’ and become grainy.
  • Spoon meringue onto crust, spreading out to ensure there is no air pockets between the filling and the meringue, and that the meringue sticks to the crusts' edge (to prevent it from shrinking).
  • Bake at 425°F for 5-7 minutes or until tips of meringue become lightly golden. Let sit and room temperature for at least 1 hour before serving.

Notes

*For the meringue, the Swiss (cooked) style will produce the best meringue with a light but dense texture, however if you want to save time you can omit the cooking step and just whip the ingredients together until stiff peaks form then spread over the hot filling.
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