lemon meringue pie

(photo from here because mine was eaten before I thought to snap a photo!)

For Father's Day I made husband his ultimate favorite - Lemon Meringue Pie. It was my first attempt and it turned out to be quite delicious! I don't really care for it myself, but this time (maybe because I was eating the fruits of my labor) it seemed to grow on me. The recipe is from my mother-in-law, try it out!

Pie Crust:

5 C. flour
2 tsp. salt
1 and 3/4 C. butter (3 1/2 cubes)
1/2 C. cold water
1 T. vinegar
1 egg, beaten

Cut butter into flour and salt. Mix water, vinegar, and egg. Add dry ingredients to liquid. Makes 5 single 9-inch pie shells.

Filling:

2 1/4 C. cold water
2 C. sugar
1/2 C. cornstarch
2 T. butter
3/4 C. fresh lemon juice (about 3-4 lemons)
lemon zest from 1 lemon (opt.)
5 egg yolks (save whites for meringue)
1/4 C. milk

In a 3 qt. saucepan combine the water, sugar, cornstarch, and butter. Boil until thickened, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add the lemon juice, lemon zest, and the egg yolks beaten with the milk. Cook until thickened again, stirring constantly. Cool slightly and pour into a cooled 9-inch pie shell (I found that it made enough for two pie shells).

Meringue:

3-4 egg whites
1/2 C. sugar
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar (opt.)
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix ingredients together and beat until it is glossy and forms stiff peaks. Spread on top of the filling. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 7 minutes, until meringue is golden brown. Cool, eat, and enjoy!


And, the little miss did end up giving her daddy a coupon tie. But, she didn't want to hand it over when the time came - it was too yummy!