Ingredients: |
Ingredients: Baked Pastry Shell:
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3 tablespoons cold water
Lemon Custard Filling:
1 cup sugar
6 tablespoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
˝ cup cold water
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
4 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into bits
1 cup boiling water
Meringue:
˝ cup granulated sugar
˝ teaspoon cornstarch
5 large egg whites at room temperature
˝ teaspoon cream of tartar
Dash of salt
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Directions: |
Directions:To make the pastry: Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, salt, and butter to make coarse crumbs. Add the water and process until the dough begins to form a ball. Pat the dough into a disk, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to an 11-inch round. Fit into a 9-inch pie shell, trim to a 1-inch overhang, and crimp the edges. Using a fork, prick the bottom and sides. Line the pastry with aluminum foil and fill with dried beans or pastry weights. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and beans or weights. Prick the bottom again and bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let cool.
To make the filling: In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Stir in the 1/2 cup cold water, lemon zest, lemon juice, and egg yolks. Add the butter and boiling water. Place the saucepan over medium-high heat and stir until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and stir 1 minute more; remove from heat and set aside.
To make the meringue: Preheat the oven to 325°F. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cornstarch. In a large bowl, beat the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt until very foamy. Beat in the sugar mixture until stiff, glossy peaks form.
Reheat the lemon filling over low heat. Pour the hot filling into the pie shell and smooth the top. Immediately spoon the meringue over the filling. With a spatula, swirl the meringue to cover the filling completely; make sure the meringue meets the pie crust edge without any gaps. Swirl the meringue to create decorative peaks.
Bake for 20 minutes, or until the meringue is lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let the pie cool away from heat and drafts, about 2 hours. |
Personal
Notes: |
Personal
Notes: Here are a couple tricks: be sure to seal the meringue to the pastry edge or it will shrink, exposing the filling. To prevent “weeping” meringue, the filling should be hot when topped with the meringue. Use a wet knife to cut the pie into wedges. The flavor and texture of this pie is best when it is served within 24 hours. I love anything "lemon" so this is a real treat.
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