When I lived in New York, I used to go for lunch to the diner around the corner, often with my national sales manager, Posey. My favorite lunch was a grilled ham and cheese sandwich with French fries or potato chips and lemon meringue pie. So bad for me! But I walked many blocks on each end of a subway ride to get to work and weighed a lot less in those days. But I loved the combination so much - and knew it was so bad - that I saved it for special occasions. On my last day with the company, Posey took me to lunch at the diner and when it came time for dessert, the waiter brought me a whole lemon meringue pie with a lighted birthday candle stuck in the middle. Mistaking my departure for a birthday celebration, the whole restaurant sang "Happy Birthday" for me.
Later, when I had more time to cook than I had in New York, I tried making a lemon meringue pie and found that it's not so easy; there are lots of steps. This recipe describes how to keep the meringue from coming away from the edge of the crust and how to prevent "weeping," that tired look that meringue has had when it's been around too long. Follow these instructions and I can assure you a successful pie. Eat your heart out, Martha Stewart!
Be sure to use fresh lemon juice. Don't even think of using that bottled stuff.
1. Have ready 1 pie crust in a pie plate, cooked and thoroughly cooled. You can use the Pillsbury one, cooked as per the instructions on the box. But homemade dough is much better.
2. Position rack in upper third of oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
3. Whisk thoroughly in a medium saucepan:
1 1/4 C sugar
1/3 C cornstarch
1/8 t salt
4. Whisk in, blending well:
1 1/2 C water
1/2 C strained fresh lemon juice (from about 3 lemons)
2-3 t grated lemon zest
5. Whisk in until no yellow streaks remain:
4 large eggs.
6. Add 2-3 T unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
7. Stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, then cook for 1 minute. The filling should be very thick. Pour the filling into the pie crust and press a sheet of plastic wrap directly on the surface. (You need to keep the filling warm so that it will help to cook the meringue when it goes on top. This prevents the meringue from separating from the edges of the crust.)
8. Immediately prepare soft meringue topping: in a very small saucepan, or heatproof 3-cup measure, thoroughly mix:
1 T cornstarch
1 T sugar
9, Gradually stir in, making a smooth, runny paste: 1/3 C water.
10. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring briskly all the while, then boil for 15 seconds. Remove this thick, translucent paste from the heat and cover with a lid or saucer. In a clean, grease-free glass or metal bowl, beat on medium speed until foamy:
4 large egg whites, at room temperature
11. Add and beat until soft but definite peaks form:
1/2 t vanilla
1/4 t cream of tartar
12. Very gradually beat in:
1/2 C sugar, preferably superfine.
13. Beat on high speed until the peaks are very stiff and glossy but not dry. Reduce the speed to very low and beat in the cornstarch paste 1 T at a time. When all the paste is incorporated, increase the speed to medium and beat for 10 seconds. (The paste keeps the pie from "weeping.")
14. Immediately remove the plastic wrap from the hot pie filling and spread the meringue over the filling, being careful to anchor the filling to the edge of the pie crust all the way around. If you like, make decorative peaks in the meringue by lifting up the spoon used for filling.
15. Bake the pie for 20 minutes. Let it cool completely on a rack and then refrigerate.
The pie can be made up to 3 days ahead and stored, chilled. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Later, when I had more time to cook than I had in New York, I tried making a lemon meringue pie and found that it's not so easy; there are lots of steps. This recipe describes how to keep the meringue from coming away from the edge of the crust and how to prevent "weeping," that tired look that meringue has had when it's been around too long. Follow these instructions and I can assure you a successful pie. Eat your heart out, Martha Stewart!
Be sure to use fresh lemon juice. Don't even think of using that bottled stuff.
1. Have ready 1 pie crust in a pie plate, cooked and thoroughly cooled. You can use the Pillsbury one, cooked as per the instructions on the box. But homemade dough is much better.
2. Position rack in upper third of oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
3. Whisk thoroughly in a medium saucepan:
1 1/4 C sugar
1/3 C cornstarch
1/8 t salt
4. Whisk in, blending well:
1 1/2 C water
1/2 C strained fresh lemon juice (from about 3 lemons)
2-3 t grated lemon zest
5. Whisk in until no yellow streaks remain:
4 large eggs.
6. Add 2-3 T unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
7. Stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, then cook for 1 minute. The filling should be very thick. Pour the filling into the pie crust and press a sheet of plastic wrap directly on the surface. (You need to keep the filling warm so that it will help to cook the meringue when it goes on top. This prevents the meringue from separating from the edges of the crust.)
8. Immediately prepare soft meringue topping: in a very small saucepan, or heatproof 3-cup measure, thoroughly mix:
1 T cornstarch
1 T sugar
9, Gradually stir in, making a smooth, runny paste: 1/3 C water.
10. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring briskly all the while, then boil for 15 seconds. Remove this thick, translucent paste from the heat and cover with a lid or saucer. In a clean, grease-free glass or metal bowl, beat on medium speed until foamy:
4 large egg whites, at room temperature
11. Add and beat until soft but definite peaks form:
1/2 t vanilla
1/4 t cream of tartar
12. Very gradually beat in:
1/2 C sugar, preferably superfine.
13. Beat on high speed until the peaks are very stiff and glossy but not dry. Reduce the speed to very low and beat in the cornstarch paste 1 T at a time. When all the paste is incorporated, increase the speed to medium and beat for 10 seconds. (The paste keeps the pie from "weeping.")
14. Immediately remove the plastic wrap from the hot pie filling and spread the meringue over the filling, being careful to anchor the filling to the edge of the pie crust all the way around. If you like, make decorative peaks in the meringue by lifting up the spoon used for filling.
15. Bake the pie for 20 minutes. Let it cool completely on a rack and then refrigerate.
The pie can be made up to 3 days ahead and stored, chilled. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
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