Lemon is one of my favorite flavors, so I’m sure it’s no surprise that this pie is a homerun in my book. I love the buttery texture and flavor of the shortbread crust — it’s the perfect base for the tart lemon filling and pillowy, toasty marshmallow meringue topping. The trickiest part of this recipe is the meringue, but don’t be afraid to give it a try!
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 4 hr 20 min |
| Active: | 1 min |
| Yield: | 6 to 8 servings |
Ingredients
- Two 5.3-ounce packages shortbread cookies, such as Walker’s
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 5 large egg yolks
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (see Cook’s Note)
- 3/4 cup lemon juice plus 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, sliced
- 5 large egg whites, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- For the shortbread crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Pulse the cookies, sugar, lemon zest and melted butter in a food processor until the mixture is sandy. Press the mixture on the bottom and up the sides of a 10-inch pie plate. Bake until the crust is golden and set, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.
- For the lemon filling: Whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl; set aside. Combine the sugar, cornstarch and salt in a small saucepan. Whisk in the lemon juice and 1 1/4 cups water. Place the saucepan over medium heat and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture is thickened, about 11 minutes.
- Slowly drizzle a little of the hot sugar mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly. Continue to whisk until all the sugar mixture has been added to the egg yolks. Return the egg mixture to the saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture is thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and lemon zest.
- Pour the filling into the prepared crust. Cover with plastic wrap while preparing the meringue.
- For the meringue: Whisk the egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar and salt in a large bowl. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (making sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water) and simmer until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is hot (160 degrees F), 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the bowl from the water bath and add the vanilla.
- Beat the egg whites at medium-high speed with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes. Remove the plastic wrap from the filling and dollop the meringue on top, creating swirls and peaks with an offset spatula. Use a kitchen torch to toast the meringue or place under the broiler until lightly toasted, about 1 minute.
- Refrigerate the pie until chilled and set, about 3 hours.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 603 |
| Total Fat | 26 g |
| Saturated Fat | 12 g |
| Carbohydrates | 89 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 66 g |
| Protein | 6 g |
| Cholesterol | 149 mg |
| Sodium | 293 mg |
Reviews
The pie was perfect. The lemon filling was not too sweet, not too sour. And the shortbread crust was terrific.
This is so amazing! Thank you for all the great recipes.
I made this for the first time last week and gave it to my mom and dad and they absolutely loved it so I made it again today for my family. It’s definitely worth the time and so delicious
I’ve never tempered hot liquid into egg yolks to make a custard and was proud of myself for making this pie. I made it for my 72nd birthday pie! It’s delicious but definitely time consuming for an old person. Proud of myself for making it!
I loved the Lemon Pie so good would try again.