Lemon Meringue Pie

The classic Lemon Meringue Pie was the last recipe I made on my lemon extravaganza Saturday. I have a standard recipe that I generally use, but this time I pulled out the recipe book A & M gave me a couple years ago - "The New Best Recipe" from America's Test kitchen. It made a good pie, but really not discernibly different than any other lemon meringue pie that I've ever made.



Lemon Meringue Pie

Filling:
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/8 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup cold water
6 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1/2 cup juice from 2 to 3 lemons
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Meringue:
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/3 cup water
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 cup sugar
4 large egg whites
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

prebaked pie crust

Mix the sugar, cornstarch, salt and water in a large nonreactive saucepan. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, whisking occasionally at the beginning of the process and more frequently as the mixture begins to thicken. When the mixture starts to simmer and turns translucent, whisk in the egg yolks, two at a time. Whisk in the zest, then the lemon juice and finally the butter. Bring the mixture to a good simmer, whisking constantly.  Remove from the heat and cover to keep hot and prevent a skin from forming. For the meringue: Mix the cornstarch with the water in a small saucepan; bring to a simmer whisking occasionally at the beginning and more frequently as the mixture thickens. When the mixture starts to simmer and turns translucent, remove from the heat. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Mix the cream of tartar and sugar together. Beat the egg whites and vanilla until frothy. Beat in the sugar mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the sugar is incorporated and the mixture forms soft peaks. Add the cornstarch mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time; continue to beat the meringue to stiff peaks. Remove the cover from the lemon filling and return to very low heat during the last minute or so of beating the meringue (to ensure that the filling is hot). Pour the hot filling into the pie shell. Using a rubber spatula, immediately distribute the meringue evenly around the edge and then the center of the pie to keep it from sinking into the filling. Make sure the meringue attaches to the pie crust to prevent shrinking. Use the back of a spoon to create peaks all over the meringue. Bake the pie until the meringue is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Serve the same day.