When is National Lemon Meringue Pie Day?
August 15 is always National Lemon Meringue Pie Day!
Are there other Holidays related?
January 23rd is Pie Day!
December 1 is: eat a pie day.
See All National Pie Holidays
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What is Lemon Meringue Pie?
Lemon meringue pie is a type of baked pie, usually served for dessert, made with a pastry base, lemon curd filling and a fluffy meringue topping. Lemon meringue pie is typically prepared with a bottom pie crust, but with no upper crust; e. g., the meringue is directly on top of the lemon filling. The dessert has been enjoyed since Medieval times, but the recipe for meringue was not perfected until the 17th century.
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Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe
Lemon Filling:
4 egg yolks (reserve whites for meringue)
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
1 (9-inch) pre-baked pie shell
1 recipe Meringue, recipe follows
Adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Whisk egg yolks in medium size mixing bowl and set aside.
In a medium saucepan, combine cornstarch, water, sugar, and salt. Whisk to combine. Turn heat on medium and, stirring frequently, bring mixture to a boil. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and gradually, 1 whisk-full at a time, add hot mixture to egg yolks and stir until you have added at least half of the mixture.
Return egg mixture to saucepan, turn heat down to low and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 more minute. Remove from heat and gently stir in butter, lemon juice, and zest until well combined. Pour mixture into pie shell and top with meringue while filling is still hot. Make sure meringue completely covers filling and that it goes right up to the edge of the crust. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until meringue is golden. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Make sure pie is cooled completely before slicing.
Meringue Topping:
4 egg whites
1 pinch cream of tartar
2 tablespoons sugar
Place egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form and then gradually add sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form, approximately 1 to 2 minutes. Use to top lemon filling.
Yield: topping for 1 (9-inch) pie
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Lemon Pie
Pie Crust:
1 1/2 C. flour
1/2 t. salt
1/2 C. shortening
2 1/2 - 3 T. ice water
Sift flour and salt. Add shortening and mix it in with a pastry cutter, until it looks like cornmeal. Sprinkle water, 1 T. at a time over the mixture and lightly toss, until it comes together in a ball. Let rest 10 minutes.
Roll out until it fits in a 9 inch pie pan. Flute edges. Chill 1 hour or more before baking. Bake at 400°F. for 12 - 15 minutes. Cool before filling.
Filling:
1 1/2 C. sugar
1/3 C. cornstarch
1/4 t. salt
1 1/2 C. water
4 egg yolks slightly beaten
2 T. grated lemon peel
2 T. butter
1/3 C. lemon juice
Whisk sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan to blend. Gradually add water and lemon juice, whisking until cornstarch dissolves. Add yolks and peel and whisk to blend. Cook over medium heat until filling thickens and boils, stirring constantly, about 8 minutes. Whisk in butter. Pour into prepared pan.
Using electric mixer, beat the 4 remaining egg whites with 1/2 t. cream of tartar. Gradually add 1/3 C. sugar. Beat till the egg whites are stiff and shiny.
Mound meringue on top of warm filling, spreading to the edges. Bake for about 20 minutes at 325°F. until the meringue is golden. Cool pie 1 hour and then refrigerate it.
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Lemon Meringue Pie
1 baked and cooled pie shell
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/8 tsp. salt
1-1/2 cups water
6 egg yolks
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/3 cup water
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 cup sugar
4 egg whites
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Mix 1 cup sugar, 1/4 cup cornstarch, salt and 1-1/2 cups water in heavy saucepan. Bring to simmer over medium heat, whisking frequently. When mixture turns translucent, whisk in egg yolks, two at a time. Then add lemon juice and finally the butter. Bring to a good simmer, whisking constantly. remove from heat, place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the filling to prevent a skin from forming.
Mix 1 Tbsp. cornstarch with 1/3 cup water in small saucepan and bring to a simmer, whisking frequently, until thickened. Remove from heat and let cool.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix cream of tartar and 1/2 cup sugar together. Beat egg whites and vanilla until foamy and add sugar mixture, 1 Tbsp. at a time, until mixture forms soft peaks. Add cornstarch mixture, 1 Tbsp. at a time, beating to stiff peaks.
Remove plastic from lemon filling and reheat over very low heat during last minute of beating meringue to make sure it's hot.
Pour hot filling into pie shell. Immediately place meringue around edge of filling and then into center of pie to keep it from sinking into the filling. Make sure meringue is attached to the pie crust edge so it doesn't shrink. Use back of spoon to carefully and gently spread the meringue and create peaks. Bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes, or until meringue is golden brown. Serves 8-10
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LEMON MERINGUE PIE
1 pre-baked prepared or home-made pie crust shell
Preheat oven to 300°F.
Filling:
7 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon flour
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
2 cups water, boiling
4 egg yolks, beaten
grated rind of two lemons
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unstrained lemon juice
Sift together cornstarch, flour, and sugar. Whisk in boiling water, continuing to stir until mixture becomes smooth.
Cook the mixture in top of a double boiler for five minutes. Be sure the water in the double boiler is simmering before the five-minute count begins.
Meanwhile, beat four egg yolks. Stir several tablespoons of the hot mixture into the beaten egg yolks (to temper), then slowly combine the egg yolks entirely with the remaining hot mixture. Stir in grated lemon rind, butter, salt, and lemon juice.
Stir constantly, continuing to cook until the egg yolks become smooth and thick.
Pour the filling into the baked pie shell. Cover with meringue (see below) while still warm, but not hot.
Meringue:
5 egg whites, stiffly beaten
1/4 teaspoon salt, scant
9 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
Place salt and lemon juice in bowl and beat egg whites until stiff, but not separating. While beating, gradually add sugar.
Spread meringue on top of lemon filling.
Bake pie at 300°F until the meringue takes on a delicately golden color with lightly browned tops. Allow to cool before serving. Garnish with thinly sliced rounds of lemon dipped into coarse sugar or a fresh sprig of mint.
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