Lemon Meringue Pie

Wow, what a crap-tastic week.  Seriously, I just don't understand how can people be so unaware of the obvious?!  Perhaps they just don't want to see it?

I have no special story about lemon meringue pie other than I really like it.  If you put every conceivable dessert in a room a la Biggest Loser and then had to select one or two what would you pick?  I would go right for the chocolate chip cookie dough (yep, you read that right) and then the lemon meringue pie.  :)

So, in an effort to make my week a tad bit brighter I have thrown this pie together to soothe my soul.  It's not picture perfect and it doesn't have to be.  As long as it tastes yum and makes ya smile, that's all that matters!


LEMON MERINGUE PIE

CRUST
Yield:  3 crusts

1-1/2 C Crisco
3C Flour
1 Egg
5 tbl cold water
1tbl vinegar, white
1tsp salt

1.  Work Crisco into flour with a pastry blender (or two knives) until the mixture resembles small peas.

2.   In a small bowl, beat an egg with a fork and then pour it into the flour/shortening mixture.

3.  Add 5 tablespoons of cold water, 1 tablespoon of white vinegar and 1 teaspoon of salt.

4.  Stir together gently until all of the ingredients are incorporated.

5.  Separate the dough into thirds. Flatten into disc shapes, wrap and chill for 30 minutes.  I usually freeze two of them to use another time.

6.  Roll out and place into pie pan.

7.  Bake at 350F until golden. 


LEMON FILLING

1C sugar
1 tbl lemon zest

2/3C fresh lemon juice

8 egg yolks

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/4 sticks butter (10 tablespoons), cut into small chunks

1C water

1/4C cornstarch

 

1.  In pan, whisk together sugar, zest and yolks.  Whisk in lemon juice and salt.

 

2.  Whisk together 1 cup of cold water and 1/4 cup cornstarch (I think my mom called that a slurry--hhmm, I'll have to research that) and add to the lemon mixture in the pan.

 

3.  Place pan over medium-high heat.  Cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.  Be sure not to let it boil.

 

4.  Remove pan from the heat and continue to whisk.  Add butter.  Whisk wisk wisk.

 

5.  When butter is melted, pour curd through a strainer.

 

6.  Pour into prepared pie crust.

 

 

MERINGUE TOPPING

4 egg whites
2/3 C sugar
1/2tsp cream of tarter

1.  Beat egg whites until foamy.

 

2.  Add cream of tarter and continue to beat until soft peaks form.

 

3.  Gradually add sugar and whip until stiff peaks form.

 

4.  Distribute meringue evenly over the top of pie, starting with the edges, and then the middle.

 

5.  Make sure it attaches to the crust.

 

6.  Bake at 325 for about 20 minutes until golden brown.

 

Happy Happy Joy Joy!