Lemon Meringue Pie

     In most of the United States, people are starting to see signs of spring and everything is starting to thaw and warm up. Sadly, this is not the case where I am. I was actually woken up this morning by the sound of snowplows barreling by clearing a decent snowfall from earlier this week. Today is actually the warmest day this week with a potential of reaching 35 degrees Fahrenheit in the afternoon but we'll see if anything actually melts with the wind we also have. With March starting in a matter of days, I am starting to get real sick of winter. So, to cheer myself up, I decided to make one of the springiest things I can think of: lemon meringue pie!

    To start, I first mix together my cornstarch and sugar then dissolve it in water in a saucepan. Once it starts to dissolve, I bring it to a simmer and let it cook until it is thick. I then whisk together my egg yolks and pour my water mixture over them slowly in order to temper my eggs. You have to do this very slowly and continue to whisk everything so that you don't up with scrambled eggs. Once about half of the thickened water mixture is added to the yolks are hot, I add the eggs back into the saucepan along with my lemon zest and juice and bring it back up to a light simmer while continuing to whisk it periodically. I let this heat until it has reached a pudding-like consistency. If you don't cook it long enough at this stage your pie will end up still delicious, just a little soupy. 

    When my filling is done, I pour it into a par-baked pie crust. I like to use the same homemade pie crust I use for my pumpkin pie and I bake it for about 10 minutes at 350 with weights and about another 5 minutes without before making my filling. You can also use a store bought crust and just follow the directions on the package for baking. Once I have my filling in my crust I get going on my meringue. I make this with the whites from the eggs I used earlier. Meringue can be tricky but they are actually quite simple if you just have patience. I make mine by first whipping my egg whites with some cream of tartar until they are white and frothy. Then, I slowly add my sugar and vanilla and continue to whip the whites until they are glossy and have stiff peaks. The cream of tartar will make it so that they are less likely to over whip and deflate but I still watch them almost constantly and check the consistency every few seconds once they turn glossy. 

    Once my meringue is done I scoop it on top of my pie, making sure that it touches the crust all around because it will shrink a little while it cools later. I then bake my pie for around 15-18 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit or until the peaks of the meringue are brown. After baking I let my pie come to room temperature before refrigerating it for at least 2 hours but preferably overnight. 

    This pie is the perfect mix of tangy lemon and sweet meringue I can't help but go back for seconds every time I make it! It is the perfect treat to make it feel like summer especially in these months when it feels like summer is never coming!

What did you think of this recipe? Use the comment section below!