Source: The Doubleday cookbook. Jean Anderson/Elaine Hanna
Makes 8 servings.
Preparation time: 40 minutes
Tips: Dip knife in warm water before cutting each slice.
Lemon Meringue Pie
Ingredients
Preparation
1 recipe single pie crust, see Crisco recipe
FILLING:
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 1/8 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups cold water
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind
4 egg yolks, lightly beaten
1/3 to 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1. Make pastry, fit into a 9" pie pan, and bake as directed; reduce oven to 350 F degrees.
2. Mix cornstarch, sugar and salt in a heavy saucepan, slowly blend in water, and heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and smooth. Mix in lemon rind and cook, stirring, 2-3 minutes. Blend a little hot mixture into yolks, return to pan and cook and stir over lowest heat 2-3 minutes; do not boil. Off heat, stir in 1/3 cup of lemon juice (1/2 cup for really tart flavor) and the butter.
3. Spoon filling into pie shell.
4. For meringue: Beat egg whites until frothy, using a rotary beater or electric mixer at moderate speed; add cream of tartar and salt and continue beating, adding sugar, 1 Tbs. at a time. When all sugar is incorporated, add vanilla and beat hard (highest mixer speed) until glossy and peaks stand straight up when beaters are withdrawn.
5. Spoon about half the meringue around edge of warm filling, spreading so it touches pastry all around. Pile remaining meringue in center, then spread to cover all filling, pulling peaks with the back of a spoon or swirling round.
6. Bake on center oven rack 12 - 15 minutes until lightly browned. Cool at room temperature at least 2 hrs. before serving.
Refrigerate leftovers.
NOTE: 1) For less meringue reduce ingredients to: 3 egg white, 6 tablespoons sugar and 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract.
Makes a 9" pie with a large meringue top.
MERINGUE: see note (1)
4 egg whites, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
