Description
Delightful lemon meringue pie offers a perfect balance of tangy citrus and sweet, cloudlike meringue. Creamy filling nestled in a buttery crust promises pure dessert satisfaction you’ll savor with each delectable bite.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ¼ cups (156 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup cold butter, cut into cubes
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 3–4 tbsps cold water
- 1 ½ cups (300 g) sugar
- ½ cup (60 g) corn starch
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 ½ cups water
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 2 tbsps butter
- Zest from 2 lemons
- 4 egg whites
- ½ cup (100 g) sugar
- ½ cup water
- 1 tbsp (8 g) corn starch
- 1 tsp vanilla
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Pastry Preparation: Blend flour, sugar, and salt, then cut in cold butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Introduce cold water, forming a cohesive dough. Compress into a disk, wrap, and chill for 2 hours.
- Crust Formation: Preheat oven to 425°F. Roll out chilled dough, drape into pie plate, trim edges, and fork-puncture bottom. Bake 10-12 minutes until light golden, then set aside.
- Lemon Filling Creation: Whisk sugar, water, cornstarch, egg yolks, lemon juice, and zest in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened like pudding (10-15 minutes). Remove from heat, incorporate butter until smooth, and pour into pre-baked crust.
- Meringue Stabilization: Prepare cornstarch slurry by cooking water and cornstarch until translucent. In a pristine bowl, whip egg whites, vanilla, and salt to soft peaks. Gradually add sugar, beating until glossy and stiff. Fold in warm cornstarch mixture for stability.
- Pie Assembly and Baking: Reduce oven to 375°F. Spread meringue over hot lemon filling, ensuring complete crust coverage. Bake briefly until meringue peaks turn light golden.
- Cooling and Serving: Cool pie at room temperature for 1-2 hours. Refrigerate 5-6 hours to set completely. Slice and serve chilled.
Notes
- Chill Dough Properly: Refrigerate the pie crust dough for at least 2 hours to ensure flakiness and prevent shrinkage during baking.
- Master Meringue Technique: Use spotlessly clean beaters and bowl to achieve perfect, glossy meringue peaks that won’t deflate.
- Control Cooking Temperature: Watch the lemon filling carefully, stirring constantly to prevent burning and achieve a smooth, pudding-like consistency.
- Seal Meringue Completely: Spread meringue to touch the crust edges, creating a seal that prevents weeping and ensures a professional-looking pie.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 9
- Calories: 271
- Sugar: 22 g
- Sodium: 85 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 34 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 78 mg