The Ultimate Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe
the ultimate lemon meringue pie
Love pie? This is the one for you, this perfect Lemon Meringue Pie, courtesy of our Mom. It starts with a crust that's the ideal combination of flaky and butter, is topped with a smooth, tart and luscious lemon filling and is finished with airy, fluffy and mile-high meringue.
the ultimate lemon meringue pie
serves 8
ingredients
Flaky Crust- 1¼ cups flour
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ½ cup cold butter, cut into 6 pieces
- ¼ cup Ginger Ale
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- 1½ cups water
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 3 tbsp butter
- 6 large egg whites
- ½ tsp cream of tartar
- ¾ cup sugar
directions
- For the crust, place flour, salt and cold butter in food processor bowl. Process for 2 seconds at a time, 4 times, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a small measuring cup, combine ginger ale and lemon juice. Add to machine while it is running. Process until dough gathers in a ball, about 10 seconds. Remove dough and press into a circular disk, about 1-inch thick. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 12-inch circle. Fold the circle in half and transfer it to a 9-inch pie plate. Trim off overhanging edges leaving about 1-inch excess. Fold under the excess dough and decoratively flute the edges. Line the pie crust with aluminum foil, waxed paper or parchment paper, then fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake 14 minutes. Gently remove weights and foil, waxed paper or parchment from crust. Prick the bottom of the pastry all over with a fork. Continue to bake 12 minutes more or until evenly golden. Cool for 10 minutes before adding lemon filling.
- For the lemon filling, place the egg yolks in a small bowl, whisk to combine and set aside. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. Stir in water and lemon juice until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium heat and stir continuously 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Remove saucepan from heat and add a small amount of the hot sugar mixture to the egg yolks. Stirring constantly, add the egg yolk mixture to the saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat and stir for 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat and add lemon zest and butter. Allow filling to cool slightly and set aside.
- For the meringue, in a mixing bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar on medium speed until foamy. Increase the speed to high and gradually beat in sugar until stiff, glossy peaks form.
- To assemble, lower oven temperature to 375°F. Spoon the lemon filling into the baked pastry shell. Pile the meringue on top of the lemon filling making sure it touches the crust all around, otherwise the meringue will shrink away from the sides when it is baked. Using the back of a spoon you can create swirls and peak designs with the meringue.
- Bake 10-12 minutes, until the top is lightly golden. Remove from oven and let cool for at least 1 hour at room temperature before serving.
“It might be fun to make it with a lemon meringue.”
