TASTY TUESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2021 – NATIONAL LEMON MERINGUE PIE DAY
Lemon meringue pie is another one of those “vintage desserts” – oldies but goodies! National Lemon Meringue Pie Day is on Sunday, August 15th. If you make a lemon meringue pie, it can be a little bit challenging, but not too difficult to make. Also, if you eat it for the tart sweet lemon, you can always top it with the frozen whipped “cream” topping which you can often get for a reasonable price when on sale. Whether it is for company or for your own family, it will get great reviews! Trust me!
This recipe came from my Aunt, my mother’s sister. She made this for us when she took a teaching position late in life – her husband had passed on, she went back to college and became a grade school teacher. She took a position in a small midwestern American town and we were there for a lovely dinner. She was a fabulous cook! I must have been about 12 years old at the time, but I asked for her recipe and it is the ONLY lemon meringue pie I ever make (it is that good!) So, get 3 or 4 fresh lemons and let’s make a lemon pie! YUMMY!
LEMON MERINGUE PIE
Ingredients
3 Tablespoons cornstarch
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
3 eggs, separated
1 9-inch baked pie shell
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon grated lemon rind
1 ½ cups boiling water
6 Tablespoons sugar
Instructions
- Combine the cornstarch, 1 ½ cups sugar, lemon juice and lemon rind.
- Beat the egg yolks.
- Add this mixture gradually to the boiling water.
- Heat to boiling over direct heat, boil gently 4 minutes. Stir constantly. When thick and smooth, pour into the baked pie shell.
- Beat the egg whites until stiff, gradually add 6 Tablespoons sugar.
- Spoon over the filling. Use back of a spoon and make little divots all over the top.
- Bake 4-5 minutes in 425 degrees F oven until the tops of the divots of egg whites meringue are browned.
- Remove from oven and let pie cool before serving.
TIPS FROM CHEF:
Make sure when you top the pie with meringue that you seal it to the pie crust edges. Otherwise, it will separate from the pie shell and will “weep” – will not be beautiful. Part of a lemon meringue, or any meringue pie, is the beautiful top. Make sure it touches every bit of the pie shell.
This meringue may be used on any cream pie filing.
This pie is delicious COLD! But it must be completely cooled, and the meringue MUST be sealed to the crust or it will separate.
Please do try this. It is not an expensive pie to make and is certainly an eye-popper to serve for company or to take to someone as a gift.
Enjoy! If you like sweet, tart and lemon, you will truly love this!
Bon Appetite’ With Love,
To download this recipe, click here.