Easy Lemon Meringue Pie

This is the Lemon Meringue Pie I've been making since I was a kid. It's less sweet than many other recipes and has a deliciously tangy lemon flavor. You will LOVE it!

Two years and a few days ago today this little thing called The Endless Meal came into being. Like watching a baby turn into a toddler and remarking, “where does the time go?” I feel like asking the same here. The past two years have flown by and have been an exciting journey along the way.

Along with wishing this little blog a happy birthday, I would also like to say a great big thank you to all you awesome peeps who continue to read these posts, make the recipes and inspire me with your comments. Thank You!

I know that lemon meringue pie isn't exactly a typical birthday dessert but it has always been one of my favourites. And since I spent the day at home with a bit of a cold, I thought this would help cheer me up. 🙂

The first time I made lemon meringue pie I was about 12 years old. (I was one of those odd kids that read recipes just for fun and wouldn't get out of the kitchen.) My mom had bought me the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook for Christmas and it wasn't long before I had read it cover to cover. My first attempt I followed the recipe exactly but found it overly sweet and not nearly lemony enough, which is how I find most lemon meringue pies are. I made it a couple more times, perfected it, and then never made it again. Until today.

I still have the cookbook (updated for the '90s!) and page 288 still has evidence of lemon meringue pie on it. Just like I did when I was a kid I doubled the lemon, halved the sugar, added extra egg whites to the meringue and used a graham cracker crust. The result was a lemony, lightly sweetened pie with a lots of fluffy meringue.

Happy Birthday

The Endless Meal!!

Easy Lemon Meringue Pie

• Author: Kristen Stevens
• Prep Time: 45 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins
• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 8 servings 1x
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Baked
• Cuisine: North American

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Description

This is the Lemon Meringue Pie I've been making since I was a kid. It's less sweet than many other recipes and has a deliciously tangy lemon flavor. You will LOVE it!

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Ingredients

For the graham cracker crust:

• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs

For the lemon filling:

• 3/4 cup of white sugar
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 3 tablespoons corn starch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 eggs
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

For the meringue:

• 5 egg whites (use the three from the filling plus two extra)
• 10 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 tablespoon corn starch
• 1/8 teaspoon white wine vinegar

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Instructions

For the crust:

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well. Press into an 8″ pie pan, ensuring the edges and bottom are even. Either chill for 1 hour until firm or bake in a 350-degree oven for 5 minutes.

For the lemon filling:

1. Combine the sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan. Gradually add 1 1/2 cups of water, whisking until smooth. Cook, whisking occasionally, over medium-high heat until thick and bubbly. Reduce heat to low and cook for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat.
2. Separate egg whites and yolks and set the whites aside. Whisk the yolks briefly. Slowly add one cup of the hot filling to the yolks, whisking to combine. (Make sure you go slow here, you don't want to scramble the eggs.) Add the yolks to the pot with the filling and cook, whisking for 2 more minutes.
3. Add the butter, lemon peel and lemon juice. Stir to combine and set aside.
4. After you make the meringue, reheat the filling before pouring it into the pie crust.

For the meringue:

1. Using an electric beater, beat egg whites in a large bowl on high speed until they are frothy and soft peaks form. Add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, and continue to beat until stiff glossy peaks form. Add the cornstarch and vinegar and beat to combine.

To assemble the pie:

1. Pour hot lemon filling into prepared pie crust. Spread meringue evenly over the top, starting at the edges and working your way to the center. Make sure that the meringue comes all the way to the edges to prevent it from shrinking.
2. Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 12-15 minutes, or until the top of the meringue starts to brown.
3. Remove from oven and set aside to cool completely.

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Recipe adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook.