Lemon Meringue Pie

Lemon Meringue Pie is bright, vibrant, and perfect for spring. You will love the zesty, sweet lemon filling, and the flaky, buttery homemade crust. And of course, the billowy toasted meringue topping piled high.   

I think we can all use a little brightness in our lives right now, and this lemon meringue pie is perfect for that. It's made with sweet and zesty lemon curd filling, a flaky homemade pie crust, and piled high with classic meringue topping. 

How to Make Lemon Meringue Pie:

Buttery and Flaky Pie Crust:

• Cold butter, cubed
• All-purpose flour
• Powdered sugar
• Salt
• Lemon juice
• Ice water 

1. Cut the butter into cubes and keep it in the fridge or freezer while you measure the other ingredients. 
2. Add the flour, salt, and powdered sugar to a large bowl or the bowl of a food processor. 
3. Cut in the cold, cubed butter using a pastry blender or by pulsing it in the food processor until all of the flour is coated. 
4. Add the ice water and lemon juice and continue to blend until a dough forms.
5. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes before using. 

Blind Bake:

1. Roll the dough out and place it in a 9" shallow pie dish. Trim the excess, cover with aluminum foil, and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Blind bake the crust in a 425° oven for 15 minutes. Remove the weights and the aluminum foil and bake for another 5 minutes. While the crust is baking you can start working on making your filling. 

Lemon Curd Filling: 

• Egg yolks 
• Sugar
• Cornstarch 
• Fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• Water
• Salt
• Butter

First, we need to separate our eggs. This is easier done with cold eggs, so separate them when you take them out of the fridge, and then leave both sitting out so they come to room temperature. Egg whites are easier to whip and whip to a greater volume when they are at room temperature. There must not be a single trace of yolk in your egg whites or they won't whip into a meringue. Don't worry, if you do happen to get a bit of yolk in with the whites, simply use one of the shells to scoop it out, and you're good to go! 

1. In a medium saucepan, heat sugar, cornstarch, salt, lemon juice, and water. Bring to a boil and simmer until thickened.
2. Temper the egg yolks: Tempering eggs is a process of mixing them with a warm liquid without the yolks curdling. Slowly and in a steady stream drizzle the warm liquid into the beaten egg yolks while whisking the yolks constantly. Once all of the warm liquid is mixed in with the yolks, add everything back to the saucepan. Stir in the butter and cook over low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat but don't let it cool completely. The meringue will form a better seal if the curd is still warm when you spread it over the top. 

Meringue Topping:

• Egg whites
• Sugar
• Cream of tartar
• Salt

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (preferred). The egg whites are going to whip up to at least 5, and probably more like 8, times their original volume, so make sure your bowl is large enough to accommodate. 
2. Mix on high speed until stiff peaks form. Be patient because it might take about 10 minutes, but sometimes less or more time is needed. 
3. Spread the meringue over the filling, going all the way to the edges of the pie. 

Time to bake! Bake in a 350° oven for 25 minutes. The meringue should be nicely browned.

Now for the hardest part by far that I am really, really bad at:

Lemon meringue pie needs to cool completely before serving. At least 3 hours. If you slice into it while it's still warm the filling won't be set and you won't get a clean slice out. It will taste amazing though! So if you don't care about getting a pretty slice, go ahead and plunge into it with a big spoon ????????. 

More Pie Recipes:

• Apple Pie
• Pecan Pie
• Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
• Key Lime Pie