lemon meringue pie

Another Daring Bakers challenge is upon us. We bring in the new year with a refreshing lemon meringue pie. Not a pie I would pick to make without a challenge, but my husband with his citrus tendencies towards desserts loved the idea. This pie was quick, easy and gorgeous.

The dough for this recipe is wonderfully rich in butter - maybe a little too much butter if that is possible. I used a food processor to pulse it together then turned it out onto a floured surface, pressed it together to form a disk and put it in the fridge for 20 minutes. In the meantime I prepped all the other ingredients. When the dough was ready to roll out, the recipe called for rolling it to 1/8" thick, I followed that suggestion and had a lot of over hang on my pie pan. So I just tucked it underneath the side and fluted the top. I wish I would rolled the dough thicker than what was suggested. After the pie was assembled the bottom was a bit soggy because the dough was too thin and buttery, but the thick sides were scrumptious.

The lemon filling came together very quickly, so it's a good idea (as always) to have your mise en place before you get started. I started boiling the water as soon as the pie crust came out of the oven. After adding the sugar and cornstarch it gradually thickened to become a smooth gelatinous liquid. I stirred 1 cup of it into the egg yolks to temper them, then added the eggs back into the liquid. I removed it from the heat when it came to a boil, then added the butter - stirring until incorporated, the lemon juice, zest and vanilla. I used a combination of meyer and regular lemons for the lemon juice. Meyer lemons are not as tart, so they are great to bake with. This stirred together into a beautiful thick smooth filling that I poured into the cooled pie crust.

The meringue whipped up into firm white peaks in no time at all. It really helps to have your egg whites at room temperature before you start. So leave them sit out after you separate your eggs. This recipe makes a lot of meringue, so it piles high onto the pie. I scooped and swirled the meringue onto the still warm pie and stuck it in the oven for about 15 minutes. When I pulled it out, the pie looked like a heavenly golden cloud of sweetness !

Thanks to Jen from The Canadian Baker for hosting this month's challenge.
See recipe below...

Lemon Meringue Pie
(from "Wanda's Pie in the Sky" by Wanda Beaver)
Makes one 10-inch (25 cm) pie

For the Crust:
3/4 cup (180 mL) cold butter; cut into ½-inch (1.2 cm) pieces
2 cups (475 mL) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (60 mL) granulated sugar
1/4 tsp (1.2 mL) salt
1/3 cup (80 mL) ice water

For the Filling:
2 cups (475 mL) water
1 cup (240 mL) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (120 mL) cornstarch
5 egg yolks, beaten
1/4 cup (60 mL) butter
3/4 cup (180 mL) fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp (15 mL) lemon zest
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla extract

For the Meringue:
5 egg whites, room temperature
1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) cream of tartar
1/4 tsp (1.2 mL) salt
1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) vanilla extract
3/4 cup (180 mL) granulated sugar

To Make the Crust:
Make sure all ingredients are as cold as possible. Using a food processor or pastry cutter and a large bowl, combine the butter, flour, sugar and salt.Process or cut in until the mixture resembles coarse meal and begins to clump together. Sprinkle with water, let rest 30 seconds and then either process very briefly or cut in with about 15 strokes of the pastry cutter, just until the dough begins to stick together and come away from the sides of the bowl. Turn onto a lightly floured work surface and press together to form a disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 20 minutes.

Allow the dough to warm slightly to room temperature if it is too hard to roll. On a lightly floured board (or countertop) roll the disk to a thickness of 1/8 inch (.3 cm). Cut a circle about 2 inches (5 cm) larger than the pie plate and transfer the pastry into the plate by folding it in half or by rolling it onto the rolling pin. Turn the pastry under, leaving an edge that hangs over the plate about 1/2 inch (1.2 cm). Flute decoratively. Chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line the crust with foil and fill with metal pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Carefully remove the foil and continue baking for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden. Cool completely before filling.

To Make the Filling:
Bring the water to a boil in a large, heavy saucepan. Remove from the heat and let rest 5 minutes. Whisk the sugar and cornstarch together. Add the mixture gradually to the hot water, whisking until completely incorporated. Return to the heat and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until the mixture comes to a boil. The mixture will be very thick. Add about 1 cup (240 mL) of the hot mixture to the beaten egg yolks, whisking until smooth. Whisking vigorously, add the warmed yolks to the pot and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in butter until incorporated. Add the lemon juice, zest and vanilla, stirring until combined. Pour into the prepared crust. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming on the surface, and cool to room temperature.

To Make the Meringue:
Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Using an electric mixer beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar, salt and vanilla extract until soft peaks form. Add the sugar gradually, beating until it forms stiff, glossy peaks. Pile onto the cooled pie, bringing the meringue all the way over to the edge of the crust to seal it completely. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden. Cool on a rack. Serve within 6 hours to avoid a soggy crust.