Moms Lemon Meringe Pie Food

THE BEST LEMON MERINGUE PIE

Steps:

• For the pie crust: Pulse the flour, shortening, sugar, salt and vinegar in a food processor until the mixture looks like damp sand, about 10 pulses. Add the butter and pulse until you can still see large pea-sized pieces. Sprinkle in 3 tablespoons ice water and pulse until the dough begins to come together. Pinch the dough; if it doesn't hold together, add up to 3 more tablespoons ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough holds together when pinched. Lay out a sheet of plastic wrap and dump the dough onto the plastic. Using the edges of the plastic, press the dough into a disc. Wrap tightly and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour and preferably overnight. (Freeze up to 2 months.)
• On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough out into a 13-inch round. Place in a 9-inch pie dish, gently pressing the dough into the edges and letting the excess dough drape over the sides. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Trim any excess dough with a paring knife and crimp the edges decoratively or press them down with the tines of a fork. Prick the dough on the bottom all over with a fork. Place a sheet of parchment paper inside the dough and fill with pie weights or uncooked rice or beans. Bake for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the parchment and weights and bake until the crust is deep golden brown on the edges and lightly golden in the center, 10 to 12 minutes more. Let the crust cool to room temperature.
• For the filling: Whisk together the sugar, cornstarch and salt in a medium saucepan. Add the lemon juice and 1 1/2 cups water and whisk to combine. Whisk the egg yolks in a separate medium bowl. Place the sugar mixture over medium heat and cook, continuing to gently whisk, until the mixture begins to bubble and is extremely thick. Temper the eggs yolks by slowly adding half of the hot sugar mixture to the yolks while constantly whisking. Add the tempered yolks to the saucepan and return to the heat. Bring the mixture back to a simmer and cook, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula, for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and lemon zest until completely melted and incorporated. Pour the filling directly into the pie crust and cover with plastic wrap pressed directly against the surface of the filling (see Cook's Note). Refrigerate while you make the meringue.
• For the meringue: Add the egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment along with the sugar, cream of tartar and salt. Whisk together to combine. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water. Cook, whisking constantly, until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture feels hot to the touch. Transfer the bowl to the mixer and add the vanilla. Whisk on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, 5 to 6 minutes.
• Remove the plastic wrap from the pie and gently mound the meringue on top of the filling. Use an offset spatula to make sure the meringue completely covers the filling and meets the crust all around the edges. (This will seal in the filling and help prevent weeping.) Use the offset spatula to create swirls and peaks in the meringue. Toast the meringue using a kitchen torch or broil in the oven until golden brown, keeping an eye on the meringue if broiling, 1 to 2 minutes. Refrigerate the pie until the filling is completely cool and set, about 4 hours.

MOM'S LEMON CUSTARD PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle; transfer to a 9-in. pie plate. Trim crust to 1/2 in. beyond rim of plate; flute edge. Refrigerate while preparing filling., In a large bowl, beat sugar and butter until well blended. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add milk, flour and salt; mix well. Stir in lemon juice and zest; set aside. In a small bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; gently fold into lemon mixture., Pour into crust. Bake until lightly browned and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool on a wire rack. If desired, garnish with whipped cream, lemon and mint. Store in the refrigerator.

MY MOM'S LEMON MERINGUE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Press pie crust into a pie plate.
• Mix sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks, lemon juice, and lemon zest together in a bowl; pour into pie crust.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes.
• Five minutes before pie is done, beat egg whites and cream of tartar together in a bowl using an electric mixer on high speed until foamy. Slowly add sugar to egg white mixture and continue beating until meringue forms stiff peaks, about 5 minutes.
• Remove pie from oven and increase temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spread meringue onto warm pie, making sure meringue goes all the way to the edges creating a seal. Using the back of a spoon, dab the meringue and pull up, creating peaks across the pie.
• Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Let cool to room temperature for 1 hour and store in the refrigerator.

MOM'S EASY LEMON MERINGUE PIES

Steps:

• 1. Thaw 2 pre-made 9" deep dish pie shells (or you can make your own crusts) and using a fork prick the shell all around, so the crust doesn't puff up during the baking time.
• 2. Bake the pie shells in a pre-heated 400° oven for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned; set aside to cool.
• 3. Divide the egg yolks and reserve the whites for the meringue, making sure there is NO egg yolk in the whites. I remove the white membrane from the reserved egg whites also. Keep the egg white at room temperature.
• 4. In a microwaveable safe glass bowl, combine the pudding mix, sugar, whipped egg yolks, 1/3 cup of lemon juice, and 2/3 cup of the water. Whisk the ingredients until all is combined.
• 5. Add the remaining 5 cups of water.
• 6. Place in the microwave on full power and cook (STIRRING EVERY 3 MINUTES) for about 16-18 minutes. Note: If you use hot water it would be less cooking time. I use cold because that's the way mom wanted it done.
• 7. The pudding will be semi-thick. The pudding will thicken more as it cools.
• 8. Fill each of the pre-baked pie crusts and set aside while you make the meringue.
• 9. In a large bowl, add the reserved egg whites and beat on high just until it starts to get foamy.
• 10. Add 1 Tbsp of the sugar at a time, beating between each addition, until all the sugar is used.
• 11. Continue to beat on high until stiff peaks form in the egg whites.
• 12. Spoon half of the firm meringue onto each pie and spread out to seal the edge of the pie.
• 13. Using your spatula or spoon, tap the top of the meringue to lift up peaks on the pie.
• 14. Bake the pie on the center oven rack for 10-12 minutes @ 350F until the meringue is a golden brown.
• 15. Note: It's best if you chill this pie before cutting into it. This meringue does weep but mom never cared because the pies never lasted that long anyway... LOL.

MOM'S LEMON MERINGUE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• FILLING:.
• Separate eggs and discard one yolk. Set aside the 3 egg whites. Mix the two remaining egg yolks with the lemon juice. Add sweetened condensed milk and grated lemon rind and mix well.
• Place graham cracker crust in the preheated oven for 5 minutes. After removing from oven, pour filling into crust and set aside.
• MERINGUE:.
• (Hint: meringue whips better and faster if whites are at room temperature).
• In a separate mixing bowl add egg whites and cream of tartar. Whip at high speed, gradually adding sugar until the meringue is stiff enough to peak. Spread meringue evenly on top of filling.
• Bake in oven for 15 minutes or until meringue is browned to your liking.
• Allow pie to cool and then keep refrigerated.

MOM'S LEMON MERINGUE PIE

Steps:

• In a medium-sized saucepot, bring sugar, cornstarch, salt, water, and lemon peel to a boil, stirring constantly.
• Remove from heat and mix in with wire whip 4 egg yolks. Return to heat for 1 minute stirring constantly. Remove from heat and whisk in 3 T. butter, then ½ c. lemon juice.
• Pour into pie crust and cool.

MOM'S LEMON MERINGUE PIE

Steps:

• Bake the empty pie shell and remove from oven (usually bakes 7 minutes at 425 degrees).
• Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees.
• LEMON FILLING:.
• Mix cornstarch, flour, 1-1/4 cups sugar and salt in large saucepan.
• Add boiling water gradually and blend thoroughly. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes at medium-high, until thick and clear.
• Beat egg yolks in small bowl.
• Add 1 Tbsp of the hot mixture to egg yolks and stir immediately and vigorously. Repeat 3 times. *This step keeps the eggs from cooking during the next step.
• Add egg yolk mixture to hot mixture in saucepan. Cook for 2 additional minutes, constantly stirring.
• Remove from heat. Slow stir in lemon juice, butter and lemon rind.
• Pour into cooled pie shell. Let cool.
• MERINGUE TOPPING:.
• Beat egg whites until stiff.
• Beat in 1/3 cup sugar, a little at a time. Continue beating until thick and smooth.
• Gently spoon onto cooled pie, pushing out to edges.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 12 - 15 minutes, until lightly browned.

MOM'S LEMON MERINGE PIE

Steps:

• 1. TO MAKE FILLING: Mix sugar, salt, cornstarch. Add water and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat stirring with a whisk until thick and clear.
• 2. Place egg yolks in a small bowl and very gradually whisk in 1/2 cup of hot sugar mixture. Go slowly so yolks do not cook. Then slowly whisk egg yolk mixture back into remaining sugar mixture. Bring to a boil and continue to cook while stirring constantly until thick. Remove from heat. Add butter and cool a bit. Pour into pie shell.
• 3. TO MAKE MERINGUE: With mixer beat egg whites until frothy; gradually add sugar, continuing to beat until stiff peaks form. Add vanilla. Spoon on top of lemon pie filling, making peaks if you like and spreading to crust edge to seal filling in. Bake at 325 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes, until meringue is nicely browned.
• 4. NOTE: Depending on the color you like for the filling you may add a bit of yellow food coloring along with the vanilla.