Lemon Meringue Pie

Lemon meringue pie is a rather contrasting dessert. It's a baked crust, a tart lemon pudding, and a soft, meringue top. It screams, "summertime!"

If I had to make a guess on the origin of this recipe, I'd say France. They're tart masters, and always have lovely pastries. But alas, this one is actually all American, coming from Philadelphia, of all places. A baker named Elizabeth Goodfellow placed meringue atop her lemon pudding to utilize the egg whites (woohoo! no waste!). Elizabeth ran America's first cooking school, and taught many bakers their skills. In the 1860s, the pie took off and was featured in many cookbooks, becoming a popular baked good.

Traditionally, lemon meringue pie uses a butter pie crust, much like apple pie. For my recipe, I decided to go with a cracker crust style, using crushed Nilla wafers and melted butter to make a cookie crust. I went this route because (a) I was already making a key lime pie using the same style and (b) I just like a cookie crust. They're quick, easy, and add sweetness and texture. And pro tip: use the blender or food processor. I've crushed these things by hand too many times and it isn't worth it. It takes <30 seconds in my little Ninja blender.

One of the things I really like about this pie is the use of all ingredients. No waste! I don't mind cooking some egg whites separately, but prefer a cohesive recipe. I made the custard by whisking 5 egg yolks together in a medium sized bowl. In a saucepan over medium heat, I whisked together the water, sugar, cornstarch, salt, lemon juice, and zest. I let this cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often, then tempered the egg yolks. This part is important to avoid scrambled eggs in your filling. I added a few spoonfuls of the water and sugar mixture into the yolks, whisking constantly. I did this a few times until the bowl was warm, then poured the mixture into the saucepan and whisked constantly until it was fully combined. Once it was bubbly (this happened quickly), I stirred in the butter, let it fully melt and mix in, then added the hot custard to the pie crust.

I whipped the egg whites in my stand mixture for a minute, then added cream of tartar. 

I continued beating the egg whites on high for 4 more minutes, then lowered the speed and slowly added the sugar, salt, and vanilla. Another 2 minutes on high, and the egg whites were fluffy and firm, able to hold their shape if scooped out.

I spread the meringue on top of the filling and added the pie to the oven for 20-25 minutes.

The pies were pretty and held up nicely when cut into slices. This is a great sign!

The sweet cookie crust, tart filling, and light topping grouped well together, giving the pie solid flavors and a good contrast of texture without being overwhelming.

I'll admit, I don't remember making this before. I was shocked! I live in a summer state; Florida is hot year round and I'm never surprised to see sandals in December. So this pie is a logical choice for us most of the time. Alas, I am glad I got my stuff together and made it, because the flavors are out of this world. Thanks, Philadelphia - you should be well known for this, and less for cheesesteaks (no offense, a grinder is top notch) and destroying a robot.

Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe

Ingredients:

For the crust: (feel free to use a standard pie crush, but pre-bake for 15 minutes prior)

2 cups Nilla wafers or graham crackers, crushed

4 tablespoons melted butter

For the custard:

5 eggs, separated

1 and 1/3 cups water

1 cup granulated sugar (I used cane sugar but this works the same)

1/3 cup cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup lemon juice (fresh is best!)

1 teaspoon lemon zest (ideal but not required)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons softened butter

For the meringue: 

5 large egg whites (from separated eggs above)

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 cup  granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Make the crust by crushing up the cookies and adding to a pie dish. Pour in the butter and mix with your hands, forming into a pie crust. Add more crushed cookies if needed and blend in to cover the pie dish. Prebake the crust for 10 minutes.

To make the filling, whisk 5 egg yolks together in a medium sized bowl. In a medium saucepan, whisk together water, sugar, cornstarch, salt, lemon juice, and zest together and heat to medium. While this heats, begin beating the egg whites (see below). Stir frequently while heating for 5-6 minutes, until the mixture begins to thicken. Next, temper the egg yolks by slowly adding a few spoonfuls of the water and sugar mixture into the yolks, whisking constantly. Add more of the mixture until the bowl is warm, then pour the mixture into the saucepan and whisk constantly until fully combined. Continue heating until the mixture is bubbly, then add the butter and stir until melted and combined. Pour the mixture into the pie crust.

To make the meringue topping, add the egg whites to a large stand mixing bowl. Beat in medium speed for one minute, then add cream of tartar. Continue beating for about 4 more minutes, until soft peaks begin to form (the whites will continue to firm up with more mixing). Slowly add sugar, salt, and vanilla while speed is on low, then switch to high for about 2 more minutes, until stiff peaks form. You'll know it's ready if you take the beater off, scoop up some of the egg whites, and turn it upside down to see stiff peaks.

Spread the meringue across the top of the pie, edge to edge. Bake pie on a low oven rack for 20-25 minutes, covering if the meringue is getting too dark. Allow to fully cool, then refrigerate. 

adapted from classic lemon meringue pie