Makes 33 mini pies and about 2 cups of filling. Sunday lunch at my great-grandmother Strahan’s house often ended with a slice of her famous lemon meringue pie. She used lemons from the tree in her backyard. She picked them when they were ripe and stored them in the freezer so she could make her famous pie all year long. This is my bite-size version of her pies. They make the perfect party treat.
1 cup pure cane sugar, divided
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Pinch of fine sea salt
¾ cup hot water
3 eggs, separated
½ cup fresh lemon juice
⅛ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 recipe Olive Oil Pie Dough (see recipe on page 291)
In a medium saucepan mix together ¾ cup of the sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt. Gradually stir in the hot water until combined. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves. Remove the pan from the heat.
In a medium bowl whisk the egg yolks. Whisk a small amount of the hot sugar mixture into the egg yolks, and then whisk the tempered egg mixture into the saucepan. Return the pan to the heat, and cook for 1 minute on medium heat. Whisk in the lemon juice and zest. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes, whisking constantly. Let cool completely.
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease two 24-cup mini muffin pans.
Roll out half of the Olive Oil Pie Dough to a round about ⅛ inch thick. Using a 2 ¾inch fluted cookie cutter, cut the dough into rounds. Lightly press each round with your fingers until it is a little thinner. Place each round in a muffin cup, using your fingertips to press the dough into the bottom and up the sides of the cup. Repeat with the remaining half of the dough. Use a toothpick to prick holes in the bottom and sides of the dough. Bake for about 16 minutes, until lightly golden brown. Transfer the mini crusts to a wire rack to cool completely.
Place the mini pie shells on a baking sheet and spoon about 1 tablespoon of the lemon filling into each.
Beat the egg whites using a hand mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the remaining ¼ cup sugar. Increase the speed to high and beat until almost stiff peaks are formed. Spoon the meringue over each filled pie. Bake for about 5 minutes, until the meringue peaks are golden brown. Let cool completely and serve.
Makes 33 mini pies and about 2 cups of filling.
Note: The mini piecrusts and lemon filling can be made ahead for easy assembly.