Ingredients: |
Ingredients: Filling:
4 egg yolks (save whites for meringue)
⅓ cup cornstarch
1 ½ cups water
1 ⅓ cups sugar
¼ tsp salt
3 Tbs butter
½ cup lemon juice (I don't measure this - I use 4 lemons, if it's over what the recipe calls for, so be it)
1 Tbs finely grated lemon zest
Meringue:
4 egg whites
1 pinch cream of tartar
2 Tbs sugar
1 crust - store bought or home made
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Directions: |
Directions:Adjust oven to middle position, this is imperative. Preheat oven to 375º.
Meringue:
Place egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer with whisk attachment. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar until stiff peaks form, approximately 1-2 minutes.
Filling:
Whisk egg yolks in medium size 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 temper egg yolks into hot mixture. (I typically do a whisk full at a time...too fast and you'll have scrambled egg yolks and that's not a good look.) Return egg mixture to saucepan, turn heat down 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 10-12 minutes or until meringue is golden brown. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Make sure pie has completely cooled before slicing
This recipe is a labor of love. Don't plan on taking your focus off of this pie until it's baking!
For the meringue, I test it for done-ness by turning the bowl of my mixer upside down... if you don't have to start the process over (meaning it fell on the floor) it's done and ready to be put on the filling. :)
The filling is the most important part. When the recipe says 1 minute, it really does mean 1 minute. It burns in an instant...and at that point there's no salvaging it. And when it says constantly stir...please, take my word, stir constantly. The first time I made this I didn't and it turned into this huge ball of sticky nasty goo and I nearly had to throw away the pot I was cooking in.
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May your Christmas jingle with joy..
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This recipe for Christmas Lemon Meringue Pie is from