Rose's Baking Basics

Lemon Meringue Pie

Serves 6 to 8

Oven Temperature: 350°F/175°C for the filled pie; broiler for the meringue

Baking Time: 25 to 35 minutes for the pie shell; 5 minutes, plus about 1 minute for broiling for the meringue.

Plan Ahead: The pie benefits from a minimum of 4 hours refrigeration after baking and cooling to room temperature, so it’s best to make the crust a day ahead and the pie the morning before serving it.

Baking Equipment: One 9 inch standard pie plate

A cookie sheet

The combination of tart, creamy lemon filling topped with billowy sweet-but-not-too-sweet meringue is the making of a dream pie. Beating hot sugar syrup into the meringue makes it more stable and prevents moisture from seeping out, but for the best results, avoid making the pie on humid or rainy days. The textures of lemon meringue pie are at their best the day it is made. If serving the pie chilled, the Sweet Cookie Pie Crust is a better choice than a flaky crust because it stays tender even when cold. It can also be shaped into a decorative border, but when unmolding the border will break off; it can be served on the side.

Sweet Cookie Tart or Pie Crust (Pâte Sucrée)

Sweet Cookie Tart or Pie Crust, prebaked in a 9 inch pie plate and brushed with egg white (see Cooling the Tart Shell)

321 grams

1 recipe

Lemon Filling

unsalted butter	43 grams	3 tablespoons
lemon zest, finely grated	9 grams	1½ tablespoons, loosely packed
lemon juice, freshly squeezed and strained (about 3 lemons)	126 grams	½ cup (118 ml)
8 to 12 large egg yolks (reserve 4 whites/120 grams/½ cup/118 ml for the meringue)	149 grams	½ cup plus 4 teaspoons (138 ml)
sugar	300 grams	1½ cups
cornstarch	85 grams	½ cup (lightly spooned into the cup and leveled off) plus 3 tablespoons
water	590 grams	2½ cups (590 ml)
fine sea salt	.	a pinch

Preheat the Oven

▪ Twenty minutes or longer before baking, set an oven rack at the middle level. Set the oven at 350ºF/175ºC.

Mise en Place

▪ Thirty minutes to 1 hour ahead, cut the butter into 4 pieces and set it on the counter at room temperature (65º to 75ºF/19º to 24ºC).

▪ With dish washing liquid, wash the lemons. Rinse, dry, and zest them (see Citrus Zest).

▪ Into a 1 cup measure with a spout, weigh or measure the lemon juice.

▪ Into a 2 cup measure with a spout, weigh or measure the egg yolks.

▪ Into the bowl of a stand mixer, weigh or measure the 4 egg whites for the meringue.

▪ Place the pie plate on the cookie sheet.

Make the Lemon Filling

1. Lightly whisk the egg yolks.

2. In a heavy medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar and cornstarch. Gradually whisk in the water until smooth. Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly with the whisk, until very thick, smooth, and translucent, about 5 minutes. An instant-read thermometer should read 190ºF/88ºC. Lower the heat to low.

3. Whisk a few spoonfuls of this mixture into the egg yolks. Then add the yolks to the saucepan, whisking constantly, until big bubbles begin to form around the outside edge. An instant-read thermometer should read 180ºF/82ºC. (See Baking Pearl.)

4. Remove the pan from the heat and gently whisk in the butter until melted, then the lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt. Whisk until the mixture is uniform and thickened.

5. Scrape the filling into the prepared pie shell. To keep the filling from forming a slight skin, set a piece of plastic wrap that has been lightly coated with nonstick cooking spray on top, pressed directly against the surface.

Light Italian Meringue Makes 225 grams/6½ cups

4 large egg whites	120 grams	½ cup (118 ml)
cream of tartar	.	½ teaspoon
sugar, preferably superfine	100 grams	½ cup
water	30 grams	2 tablespoons (30 ml)
pure vanilla extract	.	¼ teaspoon (1.2 ml)

Mise en Place

▪ Have ready a 1 cup glass measure with a spout (not coated with nonstick cooking spray) near the cooktop.

▪ Into the bowl of a stand mixer, weigh or measure the egg whites and add the cream of tartar.

Make the Meringue

1. In a small heavy saucepan, preferably nonstick and with a spout, stir together the sugar and the water until the sugar is completely moistened. Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves and the syrup is bubbling. Stop stirring and turn down the heat to the lowest setting. (If using an electric cooktop, remove from the heat.)

2. Attach the whisk beater and beat the egg whites and cream of tartar on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form when the beater is raised slowly.

3. Increase the heat on the cooktop and boil the syrup until an instant-read thermometer registers 236ºF/113ºC. Immediately pour the syrup into the glass measure to stop the cooking.

4. With the mixer off, pour a small amount of syrup over the whites. Immediately beat on high speed for 5 seconds. Stop the mixer and add one-third of the syrup. Beat on high speed for 5 seconds. Add the remaining syrup in two parts, with the mixer off between additions. For the last addition, use a silicone scraper to remove the syrup clinging to the glass measure and scrape it against the beater.

5. Continue beating on medium speed for 2 minutes. Beat in the vanilla.

Apply the Meringue to the Pie

6. Use a small metal spatula to spread the meringue on top of the hot filling, covering the filling entirely and making sure the meringue is touching the border of the crust all the way around. This will keep the meringue from shrinking. It works best to start from the crust border and work your way to the center. Mound it so that it is higher in the center. Use the back of a spoon to make decorative swirls.

Bake and Brown the Meringue

7. Bake the pie for 5 minutes.

8. Turn the oven to broil and brown the meringue for 20 seconds to 1 minute, watching to prevent burning, until the meringue is golden. Alternatively, use a kitchen butane torch to brown the meringue. To avoid burning, move it in a back and forth motion until the meringue just begins to brown.

Cool the Pie

9. Set the pie, still on the cookie sheet, on a wire rack in a draft free area to cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Then refrigerate uncovered, preferably for at least 4 hours.

Serve the Pie

10. Just before serving, wet a large dish towel with very hot water. Set it in the sink and shape it into a nest. Set the pie plate into the hot towel so that it surrounds the entire pie plate up to the rim, and allow it to sit for a minute before slicing and serving. When adequately heated, the crust will detach easily from the pie plate.

11. Cut the pie with a wet knife. After removing the first piece, it helps to run a small offset spatula under the bottom crust to be sure it releases. If necessary, return the pie plate to the hot towel. If you have one, an onion holder, which looks like an oversized fork with long tines, dipped in water first, helps to make cleaner slices through the meringue before cutting through the rest of the slice with a knife.

Store: Best eaten the day it is made. To keep for a second day, refrigerate, tented lightly with foil to keep the meringue from drying. If the meringue weeps, it is due to overheating which squeezes out moisture.

Baking Pearls

If you prefer a flaky pie crust and want to serve the pie at room temperature, it is best to add ½ teaspoon gelatin to the sugar and cornstarch mixture so that the filling will set up firmer even at room temperature.

It is necessary for the filling to be heated to 180°F/82°C in Step 3 to deactivate an enzyme in the egg yolks called amylase, which would otherwise cause the filling to thin on sitting.

If desired, instead of covering the filling with plastic wrap, sprinkle it with about ½ cup fine cake crumbs. This will more securely attach the meringue and keep it from sliding.

Variation

Individual Bottomless Lemon Meringues

Omit the crust. Divide the lemon filling between eight 8 ounce ramekins. Spread the meringue on top of the filling, making sure it touches the edges of the ramekin all around. Use a small metal spatula to make attractive swirls and peaks. If desired, for extra crunch, dust the meringue with powdered sugar. Bake, brown and cool as for the large pie and refrigerate for a minimum of 2½ to 3 hours.

Making Lemon Meringue Pie