05 Feb LEMON CREAM MERINGUE PIE
LEMON CREAM MERINGUE PIE
Your favorite pie dough for a one crust pie
Filling:
2 cups milk
2/3 cup sugar
4 lemons, Skin remove (not zested but cut) and juiced
¼ cup cornstarch
4 egg yolks
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Meringue:
Pan of boiling water
4 egg whites, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar, ground in food processor before adding to whites
Pinch of salt
Filling: Combine milk, and sugar in a stainless steel saucepan. Strip the peel from lemons with a sharp vegetable peeler or paring knife, making sure you remove the yellow but none of white pith beneath. If you do get some white pith, use a sharp knife to scrape it off peel. Add the lemon peel from the 4 lemons to milk and sugar and bring to a simmer over low heat. Remove from heat and allow to steep for 5 minutes. Remove strips of zest with slotted spoons and throw away.
- Squeeze lemons to make ½ cup of lemon with pulp. Place juice in medium bowl and using a flat whisk, add cornstarch and then egg yolks.
- Return milk, sugar and lemon mixture to a boil over low heat and whisk about a third of the boiling milk into lemon juice mixture to temper. Return milk mixture to a boil again and whisk lemon mixture into milk mixture. You must whisk constantly , until mixture comes to a boil and thickens. Allow to boil about 30 seconds. Remove from heat and whisk in butter, and pour in a pottery (non-reactive) bowl. Press plastic wrap over surface of filling and chill until it is approximately 75 degrees. You must allow filling to come back to room temperature before proceeding.
- Spread cooled filling evenly in cooled crust.
- Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees.
- To make meringue: bring a pan of water to a boil. Lower heat so that the water simmers.
- Combine the ingredients egg yolks, sugar and pinch of salt in a stainless steel bowl and put over simmering water and whisk egg whites gently for about 2 minutes until egg whites are hot (about 140 degrees) and sugar has dissolved. Pour mixture into bowl of electric mixer.
- Whip meringues on medium speed until meringue mixture has cooled and is able to hold a shape, but should not look dry.
- Drop spoonfuls of meringue all over top of pie and using a spatula, spread meringue evenly. It should cover top of pie and touch all the edges of the crust. Make so fluffs and slightly swirl.
- Place pie on a baking sheet and bake for 5 to 10 minutes, or until meringue is evenly colored all over.
- Cool on a rack.