Luscious Lemon Meringue Pie Recipes

THE BEST LEMON MERINGUE PIE

Steps:

• For the pie crust: Pulse the flour, shortening, sugar, salt and vinegar in a food processor until the mixture looks like damp sand, about 10 pulses. Add the butter and pulse until you can still see large pea-sized pieces. Sprinkle in 3 tablespoons ice water and pulse until the dough begins to come together. Pinch the dough; if it doesn't hold together, add up to 3 more tablespoons ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough holds together when pinched. Lay out a sheet of plastic wrap and dump the dough onto the plastic. Using the edges of the plastic, press the dough into a disc. Wrap tightly and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour and preferably overnight. (Freeze up to 2 months.)
• On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough out into a 13-inch round. Place in a 9-inch pie dish, gently pressing the dough into the edges and letting the excess dough drape over the sides. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Trim any excess dough with a paring knife and crimp the edges decoratively or press them down with the tines of a fork. Prick the dough on the bottom all over with a fork. Place a sheet of parchment paper inside the dough and fill with pie weights or uncooked rice or beans. Bake for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the parchment and weights and bake until the crust is deep golden brown on the edges and lightly golden in the center, 10 to 12 minutes more. Let the crust cool to room temperature.
• For the filling: Whisk together the sugar, cornstarch and salt in a medium saucepan. Add the lemon juice and 1 1/2 cups water and whisk to combine. Whisk the egg yolks in a separate medium bowl. Place the sugar mixture over medium heat and cook, continuing to gently whisk, until the mixture begins to bubble and is extremely thick. Temper the eggs yolks by slowly adding half of the hot sugar mixture to the yolks while constantly whisking. Add the tempered yolks to the saucepan and return to the heat. Bring the mixture back to a simmer and cook, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula, for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and lemon zest until completely melted and incorporated. Pour the filling directly into the pie crust and cover with plastic wrap pressed directly against the surface of the filling (see Cook's Note). Refrigerate while you make the meringue.
• For the meringue: Add the egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment along with the sugar, cream of tartar and salt. Whisk together to combine. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water. Cook, whisking constantly, until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture feels hot to the touch. Transfer the bowl to the mixer and add the vanilla. Whisk on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, 5 to 6 minutes.
• Remove the plastic wrap from the pie and gently mound the meringue on top of the filling. Use an offset spatula to make sure the meringue completely covers the filling and meets the crust all around the edges. (This will seal in the filling and help prevent weeping.) Use the offset spatula to create swirls and peaks in the meringue. Toast the meringue using a kitchen torch or broil in the oven until golden brown, keeping an eye on the meringue if broiling, 1 to 2 minutes. Refrigerate the pie until the filling is completely cool and set, about 4 hours.

MY MOM'S LEMON MERINGUE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Press pie crust into a pie plate.
• Mix sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks, lemon juice, and lemon zest together in a bowl; pour into pie crust.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes.
• Five minutes before pie is done, beat egg whites and cream of tartar together in a bowl using an electric mixer on high speed until foamy. Slowly add sugar to egg white mixture and continue beating until meringue forms stiff peaks, about 5 minutes.
• Remove pie from oven and increase temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spread meringue onto warm pie, making sure meringue goes all the way to the edges creating a seal. Using the back of a spoon, dab the meringue and pull up, creating peaks across the pie.
• Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Let cool to room temperature for 1 hour and store in the refrigerator.

GRANDMA'S LEMON MERINGUE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• To Make Lemon Filling: In a medium saucepan, whisk together 1 cup sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt. Stir in water, lemon juice and lemon zest. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until mixture comes to a boil. Stir in butter. Place egg yolks in a small bowl and gradually whisk in 1/2 cup of hot sugar mixture. Whisk egg yolk mixture back into remaining sugar mixture. Bring to a boil and continue to cook while stirring constantly until thick. Remove from heat. Pour filling into baked pastry shell.
• To Make Meringue: In a large glass or metal bowl, whip egg whites until foamy. Add sugar gradually, and continue to whip until stiff peaks form. Spread meringue over pie, sealing the edges at the crust.
• Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until meringue is golden brown.

CLASSIC LEMON MERINGUE PIE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine flour and salt; cut in shortening until crumbly. Gradually add 3 tablespoons cold water, tossing with a fork until dough forms a ball. , Roll out dough to fit a 9-in. pie plate. Transfer crust to pie plate. Trim to 1/2 in. beyond rim of plate; flute edge. Bake at 425° for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned., Place egg whites in a large bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, flour and salt. Gradually stir in water until smooth. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. , Remove from the heat. Stir a small amount of hot filling into egg yolks; return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. Gently stir in butter and lemon zest. Gradually stir in lemon juice just until combined. Pour into the crust., For meringue, in a saucepan, combine 2 tablespoons sugar and cornstarch. Gradually stir in cold water. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture is clear. Transfer to a bowl; cool., Beat egg whites and vanilla until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the remaining sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Beat in cornstarch mixture on high until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved. Spread evenly over hot filling, sealing edge to crust., Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until the meringue is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving. Refrigerate leftovers.

LUSCIOUS LEMON PIE

Steps:

• In the top of a double boiler, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. Stir in milk, egg yolks and lemon juice. Cook and stir over boiling water until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 3 minutes longer. Remove from the heat and stir in butter and lemon zest. Cool, stirring occasionally. When mixture is room temperature, stir in sour cream. Pour into shell and refrigerate several hours or overnight. , For topping, whip cream until thickened; beat in sugar and almond extract, if desired. Continue to beat until stiff. Spread or pipe with pastry bag on pie before serving.

LUSCIOUS LEMON MERINGUE PIE

Steps:

• Note, I use a commercial mix. If you cannot find it, you can follow the directions on your pudding and pie mix package, but add the lemon juice and rind to the mix when it is cooked.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Zest the lemon and set 2 tablespoons of the zest aside.
• Squeeze 2 tablespoons of juice out of the lemon and set aside.
• Place egg whites into mixing bowl and set aside.
• In a large glass bowl, stir together the egg yolks and cold water.
• Mix in the lemon pudding and pie filling powder.
• Stir in the hot water and lemon juice.
• Microwave on high for 4 min's. Add the lemon zest.
• Stir and continue cooking at 2 minute intervals until thick.
• In the meantime, as this is cooking, beat eggs whites until frothy.
• Add the cream of tartar, beat until foamy.
• Gradually add the powdered sugar, beat until stiff peaks form.
• Stir the butter into the hot filling, let rest for 2 minutes.
• Pour into baked shell.
• Spoon the meringue over the filling, ensuring the meringue seals the edges of the pie crust.
• Make swirls and peaks on the meringue.
• Bake for 10 to 12 minute until peaks are browned.
• Cool at room temperature for 1 hour, then chill.
• When cutting, slice through the meringue with a knife wet with hot water.

LUSCIOUS LEMON MERINGUE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F, 175°C.
• Filling: using a medium saucepan, whisk together cup of sugar, flour, cornflour and salt. Stir in zest and juice of lemon and the water. Cook over medium heat till just boiling. Stir in the butter. Beat yolks together well in a bowl big enough to add a cup of the hot mixture to. Add a cup of the sugar mix, whisking all the time then add this back to the saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring all the time till thick. Remove from heat and pour into pie case.
• Meringue: Using a large clean bowl ( wipe out with remains of lemon and dry with paper towel to make sure there is absolutely no grease/residue in the bowl), whisk the whites till foamy, can be done by hand but I find the electric mixer does the best meringue for this. Add sugar gradually, whisking till you have the stiff peak stage (or you can try holding the bowl upside down above your head to make sure!)Also check at this point that all the sugar has dissolved by rubbing a small amount of mix between your fingers. continue whisking for a few minutes if it still feels grainy. If its smooth, drop the mixture all over the warm pie filling making sure to go right up to the edges smoothing out the gaps as you go. I like to make sure there are peaks all over the meringue as I love the chewy bits too.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, or till meringue is golden brown.
• To enjoy at its best, let it cool down for a wee while before chilling for a few hours then serving with cream/ice cream. You will need to include the chilling time as I wasn't sure how to include that at the top.

LUSCIOUS LEMON LAYER PIE

Steps:

• Pie Crust: Whisk flour with a fork while still in the bag or cannister. Gently spoon out flour into measuring cups. (This reduces flour by as much as 1/8 to 1/4 cup).
• Then sift flour, powdered sugar, and salt. Add shortening and cut into pea sized bits with pastry blender. Add cold water gradually until just dampened. Place on waxed paper and gather into ball from the outside corners. Press dough into a 6-inch pancake shape. Wrap with plastic wrap.
• Chill at least 30 minutes and then roll out between 2 large pieces of plastic wrap. Remove 1 side of plastic wrap, lightly flour, if necessary, and place into a 9-inch clear glass deep dish pan.
• Remove plastic wrap and flute edges. Prick bottom and sides with a fork. Chill for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 475 degrees F. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Use extra pastry for cut-outs in the shapes of lemons, stars, etc. for decoration.
• Bottom Layer: In saucepan combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Mix with wire whisk; blend in lemon juice and cold water; then add egg yolks and blend until smooth. Add butter and gradually stir in boiling water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly; boil 2 minutes; remove from heat and add lemon extract, zest/peel, and food coloring. Partially cool for 30 minutes, and pour into the baked pie shell. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before adding second layer.
• Second Layer: In a small bowl, cream sugar and cream cheese with spatula until smooth. Add milk and stir until well blended. Add pudding and beat with electric mixer for 2 minutes until thickened. Pour on bottom layer. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
• Top Layer: Cream together the sugar and cream cheese until smooth. Fold in the whipped dessert topping and spread on top of cooled lemon pudding. Garnish with extra pastry cutouts, citrus or mint leaves. Chill at least 4 hours before serving.
• This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a bulk recipe provided by a restaurant. The FN chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results.