Welcome back to PIE WEEK, where every day this week I'm sharing a new pie video! Today we are making the best lemon meringue pie.
If you love this recipe, you are going to love the rest of my Pie Week videos, so be sure to check those out too just in time for the holidays! I am going to be sharing everything from THE BEST Easy All-Butter Pie Crust, to how to make fun and amazing Decorative Pie Crust Designs, my fave Cherry Pie with Braided Lattice Top, Pumpkin Pie with Pie Crust Leaves, THE BEST Apple Pie with Pie Crust Roses, THE BEST Lemon Meringue Pie with Ruffled Pie Crust and THE BEST Chocolate Cream Pie, just in time for the holidays!
This smooth, tangy, fragrant lemon filling is set in a tender flaky, buttery crust, to add a perfect crunch. It's finished with a delicate, billowy cloud of sweet meringue, piled high right on top.
If you guys give this a try be sure to tag me in a picture on social media @LindsayAnnBakes!
This is like a cloud of sweet, melt in your mouth heaven. What I love about this pie, is it looks so fancy and impressive, but the ingredients to make it are super basic.
How pretty are these ruffles?!
I made my favorite, super simple buttery pie crust recipe to kick off pie week, because you can do it in advance and just pop it in the fridge or freezer until you're ready to make your pie, but you can use store bought pie crust if you want, which tends to be easier for making decorations to top your pie with.
A little trick when you're making this, is to be sure that the lemon curd it is still nice and hot when you pile the meringue on top so it helps seal and cook the bottom of the meringue and when you spread it all the way to the edges, the filling wont shrink or separate while it bakes.
It's sweet and rich, but so fragrant and refreshing. Even though I'm hard core, team chocolate... all you lemon lovers out there, I get it now, because this pie is amazing.
It's sweet and rich, but so fragrant and refreshing. Even though I'm hard core, team chocolate... all you lemon lovers out there, I get it now, because this pie is amazing.
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Lemon Meringue Pie
Yield: One 9" pie; serves 8
Ingredients
- Two 9" Pie Crusts, Homemade or Store Bought (1 for bottom crust and 1 for decorations on top)
- egg wash: 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk or cream
- 1 1/3 cup white sugar
- 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup lemon juice (2 large lemons)
- 4 egg yolks, beaten
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest (outer skin of the lemon, avoiding bitter white layer), about 1 1/2 large lemons, plush extra for garnish
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Meringue Topping:
- 4 large egg whites, at room temperature (reserve yolks for the lemon curd)
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sugar
Directions
Pre-Bake Crust:
Press one pie dough into the bottom and up the sides of a 9" pie dish. Using the second pie dough, cut out long 1/2-inch strips of pie dough, for the ruffled boarder. Brush edges with egg wash and place the strips on top, ruffling them on top of each other as you go. To create a golden flaky layer on your pie crust, brush egg wash over the top of the crust with a pastry brush. Place in the freezer for at least 20 minutes, while you preheat the oven to 375°F (this helps ensure the crust does not slide down the sides during baking).
Line your pie dough with parchment paper and fill with pie weights, dry rice or dry beans. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the pie from the oven, and lift out the parchment and weights. Prick the bottom of the crust all over with a fork, to release steam, so it doesn't bubble up. Tent the edges of the pie with aluminum foil if the edges from getting too brown. Bake for an additional 15 minutes, until the crust is golden all over. Cool completely before filling.
Line your pie dough with parchment paper and fill with pie weights, dry rice or dry beans. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the pie from the oven, and lift out the parchment and weights. Prick the bottom of the crust all over with a fork, to release steam, so it doesn't bubble up. Tent the edges of the pie with aluminum foil if the edges from getting too brown. Bake for an additional 15 minutes, until the crust is golden all over. Cool completely before filling.
Filling:
Lower oven temperature to 350°F.
Separate eggs, placing the whites in a large mixing bowl to come to room temperature. Place the yolks into a medium bowl and lightly whisk the yolks; set aside.
In a medium saucepan, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, salt, water, milk and lemon juice, until smooth. Stir constantly over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil and becomes a thick clear gel. Boil and stir for 1 minute. Immediately whisk about 1 cup of the gel mixture into the yolks to temper/warm them, then whisk the yolk mixture back into the into pot with the rest of the gel mixture. Over medium-low simmer, about 2-3 minutes, whisking constantly. Remove from heat and whisk in the butter, lemon zest and vanilla. Cover surface of filling with plastic wrap, while you prepare the meringue.
Meringue:
In a mixing bowl, with an electric mixer beat egg whites and cream of tartar on medium speed, until they hold soft peaks. Beat in vanilla. Increase to medium/high speed and slowly add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until meringue just holds stiff peaks, about 7 minutes. Set aside about 1/2 of the meringue into a piping bag with a closed start tip, for decorating, if desired.
Pour warm filling into shell and spread meringue on top, covering filling completely, sealing it to the edge of the crust. Pipe meringues decorations on top. Bake at 350°F until meringue is golden, about 10-15 minutes. Sprinkle with lemon zest.
Cool 1 hour on a wire rack and transfer, uncovered, to the refrigerator to set up, at least 3 hours before serving, until filling is set.
Lemon meringue pie is best eaten the day it’s made, but leftovers will keep, loosely tented with aluminum foil and refrigerated, for up to 3 days. Do not cover with plastic wrap or condensation will form under the wrap and create a wet layer on your pies.
