Classic Lemon Meringue Pie

nibbleboard.com/recipes/lemon-meringue-pie

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Make the pie crust: Whisk flour, sugar, and salt together. Cut in cold butter using a pastry cutter or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized butter pieces.
2. Add ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing with a fork until the dough just comes together. Flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
3. Roll out the chilled dough on a floured surface to a 12-inch circle. Transfer to a 9-inch pie dish, trim edges to a 1-inch overhang, and crimp. Prick the bottom with a fork and freeze for 30 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line the crust with parchment and fill with pie weights. Blind bake for 15 minutes, remove weights, and bake another 10-12 minutes until the bottom is golden and dry.
5. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F (177°C). Set the baked crust aside.
6. Make the lemon filling: Whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl and set aside. In a medium saucepan, whisk together water, sugar, cornstarch, salt, lemon juice, and lemon zest over medium heat until it begins to simmer and thicken.
7. Temper the egg yolks by very slowly streaming a few spoonfuls of the hot lemon mixture into the yolks while whisking constantly. Then slowly pour the tempered yolks back into the saucepan, whisking the entire time.
8. Return the saucepan to medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the filling is very thick and coats the back of a spoon, about 2-3 minutes.
9. Remove from heat and stir in the softened butter until melted and smooth. Pour the hot filling directly into the warm baked pie crust.
10. Make the meringue: Beat egg whites and cream of tartar with a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed for 1 minute. Increase to high speed and gradually add sugar and salt, beating until stiff glossy peaks form, about 4-5 minutes.
11. Immediately spread the meringue over the hot lemon filling, starting at the edges and working inward. Make sure the meringue touches the crust all the way around to seal it and prevent shrinking. Create dramatic swirls and peaks with the back of a spoon.
12. Bake on the lowest oven rack at 350°F for 20-25 minutes until the meringue peaks are golden brown. If browning too quickly, loosely tent with foil.
13. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack at room temperature for 1 hour, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours before slicing. Use a sharp knife dipped in hot water for clean slices.

Nutrition per Serving

Chef Tips

• I've found that pouring the hot filling into a warm crust and topping with meringue immediately is the single best way to prevent weeping — the heat from below and above cooks the meringue through.
• Always seal the meringue to the crust edges all the way around. If there are gaps, the meringue will shrink back as it bakes and you'll end up with a sad little meringue island in the center.
• Use fresh lemon juice, not bottled. I know it's extra work to squeeze the lemons, but the flavor difference is massive — bottled juice tastes metallic in comparison.
• Room temperature egg whites whip up much faster and higher than cold ones. Separate your eggs while cold (the yolks won't break as easily), then let the whites sit out for 20-30 minutes before whipping.
• If you don't have cream of tartar, substitute 1 teaspoon of white vinegar or lemon juice — it stabilizes the meringue the same way.

Storage

Cover loosely with plastic wrap (don't let it touch the meringue) and refrigerate for up to 2 days. The meringue will soften over time — this is unavoidable.