Lemon meringue pie is one of those desserts that really makes us happy. There’s something about the ridiculously light meringue and the sweet and tart lemon filling that picks us up and makes our days just that much better. This dessert, especially if you’re going full-on homemade and making everything from scratch, is a little time/effort-intensive, but the final result is outstanding! If you set your ingredients out ahead of time and read our directions carefully, you should have no problem whipping up this delicious, classic pie and don’t forget to pat yourself on the back when you’re finished!
Yields 1, 9-inch pie
Ingredients
Filling:
4 egg yolks (save whites for meringue)
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup flour
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon lemon zest, grated
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pre-baked pie crust (store-bought or homemade)
Meringue:
4 egg whites, room temperature
3 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
Directions
Preheat oven to 375º F and arrange oven rack to the middle of oven.
Beat eggs yolks together in a medium bowl (save egg whites for meringue). Set the bowl aside.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine water, sugar, flour and salt, and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
Boil for 1 minute, then slowly add hot mixture to egg yolks while whisking continuously. (This tempers the yolks and keeps them from cooking once you put them back on the heat.)
Once you’ve added at least half of your hot mixture to the yolks, return mixture (and remaining yolks) to the stove, on low, continuing to whisk vigorously.
Cook for 1 more minute.
Remove from heat again and add butter, lemon juice and zest. Mix thoroughly and pour into (cooled) pie shell.
For meringue: beat egg whites and cream of tartar on high speed until soft peaks form.
Slowly add sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. 1-2 minutes.
Spread meringue onto pie filling while it’s still hot and make sure to spread it out to the outer edges of the crust to “seal” the topping.
Place in oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until top is golden brown.
Let cool completely before serving.