Lemon Meringue Pie

Lemon Meringue Pie

Alekos Tetradis, Contributing Writer

Fall weather is only just starting, which means winter is just around the corner. However, with this lemon meringue pie recipe, you won’t have to let go just yet! This pie has a flaky, buttery crust and is stuffed with a tart lemon filling covered in soft and sweet meringue. This pie is perfect for any and all occasions. Make it for your friends, family or just yourself! Head on over to the store, and prepare this delicious dessert!

What you’ll need:

1 cup white sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons cornstarch

¼ teaspoon salt

1 ½ cups water

2 lemons, zested and juiced

2 tablespoons butter

4 egg yolks, beaten

1 pie crust, baked, should be about 9 inches (frozen crusts work perfectly)

4 egg whites

6 tablespoons white sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Lemon Filling: In a medium-sized saucepan, whisk together 1 cup sugar, flour, cornstarch and salt. Once combined, stir in water, lemon zest and lemon juice. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently until it boils. It should look glossy and viscous. Mix in the butter. In a separate bowl, mix together the 4 egg yolks with about 1/2 cup of the sugar-lemon mixture. Once mixed, put the egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan and bring it to a boil while whisking constantly until it begins to thicken. Take off heat once it boils and transfer it into your pie shell.

3. Meringue: In a large, durable bowl (glass or metal), whip the egg whites until they are foamy. Add 6 tablespoons of sugar and keep whipping until you see stiff peaks form. You can tell once they are stiff if the tips of the peaks stay mostly intact. Spread the meringue over the pie and make sure you seal ALL the sides so nothing leaks out!

4. Bake in your wonderfully preheated oven for 10 minutes or until you see the meringue begin to brown.

Notes

This recipe takes very little time to make (about 40 minutes) so it’s perfect for people who need a study break or just love baking but don’t have a lot of time. I recommend taking the sugar-lemon mixture off the heat once it boils because you don’t want it to burn or curdle. If you’re feeling fancy, make patterns on the meringue using any type of apparatus available, and make sure you seal the edges!