It doesn’t get more classic than lemon meringue pie. For this towering and dramatic version, we spoon on tall swoops of meringue, all the way towards the edge of the crust. A crucial step that’s needed to avoid weeping!
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 3 hr |
| Active: | 45 min |
| Yield: | 8 to 10 servings |
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 3 hr |
| Active: | 45 min |
| Yield: | 8 to 10 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening
- 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 3 to 4 tablespoons ice water
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 5 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest, plus 1/2 cup lemon juice (from 2 to 3 lemons)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 5 large egg whites
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 cup sugar
Instructions
- Make the crust: Pulse the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor. Add the shortening and pulse a few times until combined. Add the butter and pulse just until coarse crumbs form. Add the vinegar and 3 tablespoons ice water; pulse until the dough comes together but is slightly crumbly. Pinch the dough — if it’s too crumbly, pulse in more ice water 1 teaspoon at a time. Turn out the dough onto a large sheet of plastic wrap. Wrap the dough, then flatten into a disk. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or overnight.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a 13-inch round. Ease into a 9-inch pie plate. Fold the overhanging dough under itself, then crimp the edges. Refrigerate the crust until firm, at least 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 375˚ F. Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork, line with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Place the crust on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until golden brown around the edges, about 15 minutes. Remove the parchment and weights and continue baking until the crust is a deep golden brown on the bottom, 20 to 30 more minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool while preparing the filling but leave the oven on.
- Make the filling: Whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl until smooth; set aside. Whisk the sugar, cornstarch and salt in a medium saucepan to combine. Whisk in the water and lemon juice and turn the heat to medium. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, whisking, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Slowly whisk about one-quarter of the sugar mixture into the egg yolks. Whisk in another one-quarter of the sugar mixture until smooth, then pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Continue cooking, whisking constantly to keep the egg yolks from scrambling, about 1 more minute. Stir in the butter and lemon zest until the butter melts; remove from the heat.
- Immediately make the meringue while the filling is still hot: Combine the egg whites and cream of tartar in a large bowl and beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes. Very slowly beat in the sugar; continue beating until firm glossy peaks form, about 4 minutes more (do not overbeat). Give the lemon filling a quick stir, then pour into the crust. Immediately spread the meringue on top of the hot filling, spreading it all the way to the crust; use the back of a spoon to make swoops and peaks. Bake until the meringue is golden brown in spots, 5 to 7 minutes; do not overbake to avoid weeping.
- Remove the pie to a rack and let cool 1 hour, then refrigerate until completely cooled before slicing, about 4 hours.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 10 servings |
| Calories | 358 |
| Total Fat | 15 g |
| Saturated Fat | 8 g |
| Carbohydrates | 52 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0 g |
| Sugar | 36 g |
| Protein | 5 g |
| Cholesterol | 101 mg |
| Sodium | 267 mg |
| Serving Size | 1 of 10 servings |
| Calories | 358 |
| Total Fat | 15 g |
| Saturated Fat | 8 g |
| Carbohydrates | 52 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0 g |
| Sugar | 36 g |
| Protein | 5 g |
| Cholesterol | 101 mg |
| Sodium | 267 mg |
Reviews
My daughter has been asking for lemon meringue pie for a few weeks so when the magazine showed up with this on the cover it was fate.
I don’t own a food processor so I hand rubbed the butter and shortening into the flour mixture. Dough was easy enough to work with and roll. I used a deep tart pan lined with parchment.
Filling and meringue recipes straight forward.
I think my curd cooled a bit too much and I did not manage to “seal” the meringue to the edges so I had just a bit of weeping. That is my bad on technique. It’s been years since I’ve made a meringue pie.
It’s the next morning and we only have one slice left! My neighbors (who I borrowed cream of tartar from) texted me back how good the pie was almost before we got back in the house.
Will make again!
Both my daughter and husband commented on both the texture and taste of the crust as one of the best I’ve made. I’ve never used ACV in a crust…maybe that was the secret?
Thank you FoodNetwork!