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.

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Spread cooled filling evenly in cooled crust.
  4. Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees.
  5. To make meringue: bring a pan of water to a boil. Lower heat so that the water simmers.
  6. 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.
  7. Whip meringues on medium speed until meringue mixture has cooled and is able to hold a shape, but should not look dry.
  8. 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.
  9. Place pie on a baking sheet and bake for 5 to 10 minutes, or until meringue is evenly colored all over.
  10. Cool on a rack.