Lemon Meringue Pie – Sugar Spun Run

This traditional lemon meringue pie recipe yields a superbly set filling and billowy meringue that gained’t weep–each single time! It’s made 100% from scratch with simply 10 elements. Recipe features a how-to video!

Good Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe

Should you’ve ever struggled with making lemon meringue pie–whether or not it’s a filling that’s too runny or a meringue that’s too watery–at this time’s recipe is for you!

Truthfully, I averted this recipe for for too lengthy. Like my pink velvet cake (took me years to strategy that one!), I uncared for to develop a lemon meringue pie recipe just because it was a dish that I simply didn’t love. In my expertise, this pie was by no means nice to eat; I disliked the free, watery lemon filling and the weepy layer that all the time puddled between the meringue and the filling. The feel simply threw all the pieces off for me!

However, as with that pink velvet cake, my sister insisted I wanted to share a model. So I started working, and within the trenches (no, critically, it felt like we had been within the trenches), I found options for the frequent issues that pop up making lemon meringue pie.

I now perceive why the meringue is so usually weepy–I can recall a very unhappy slice with a deflated, moist meringue that puddled everywhere in the plate. Even Luke, sometimes aggressive along with his dessert fork, wouldn’t dare contact this pie. “Mother, that is disgusting” he mentioned. And he was proper.

It took a whole lot of pies gone flawed, tried-and-true pie recipes, and even my grandmother’s pie recipe carved on her pie plate (I used to be SO SAD that one didn’t work out–I even tried it a number of instances simply to make certain!) as a way to arrive the place we’re at this time. However wow, was it price it!

What to anticipate from my perfected recipe:

• Flawless, tart, brilliant and straightforward filling with true, actual lemon taste (no field mixes). It’s agency sufficient to slice, however nonetheless mushy sufficient to take care of that traditional texture and soften in your mouth. Oh, and there’s no have to mood any eggs to make it!
• Loads of meringue that billows fantastically over the pie layer. I designed my recipe to have a beneficiant quantity of meringue for making these attractive peaks and whorls over the pie, as a result of what’s a lemon meringue pie with out them?
• Completely no weepy meringue. This was so vital to me with this recipe. Now you’ll have to roll up your sleeves and soiled an additional dish, however the payoff is price it. It’s not ridiculous or difficult work, nevertheless it does require love. Good pies take some effort!
• Crisp, buttery crust. We are able to’t neglect the crust! Blind baking the pie crust beforehand means there might be no soggy bottoms right here, thank goodness.

Let’s get baking!

What You Want

My lemon meringue recipe sticks with traditional, primary elements. Listed below are an important ones we’ll be utilizing.

• Lemons. Contemporary lemons are a should right here–bottled lemon juice merely gained’t reduce it. Ensure you zest your lemons earlier than juicing them.
• Eggs. We’ll be utilizing 5 complete eggs on this lemon meringue pie recipe. The yolks will go within the lemon filling (it’s just like lemon curd!) and the whites will go within the meringue topping (so no waste or leftovers!). Be sure that once you separate them that you just don’t let any yolk get into your whites, or you’ll have to begin over. Additionally, utilizing eggs which are at room temperature, as they have an inclination to whip quicker and better than chilly egg whites.
• Cornstarch. This works to assist stabilize and thicken the bottom of the pie, maintaining it from being too free or runny.
• Cream of tartar. Should you’ve made meringue cookies or macarons, you know the way useful cream of tartar could be for stabilizing egg whites. We’ll use it right here for the very same cause.
• Vanilla. Many recipes skip the vanilla within the meringue, however I believe it provides an additional particular, nearly marshmallow-like contact.
• Pie dough. As all the time, I like to recommend making your individual pie crust as an alternative of utilizing a store-bought crust. Even higher, use my pie crust recipe! It’s not as straightforward as store-bought, nevertheless it’s so good and stuffed with taste. And it’s virtually foolproof, because it comes collectively within the meals processor.

SAM’S TIP: Even the tiniest drop of egg yolk can forestall your egg whites from whipping to stiff peaks, so be very cautious when separating your eggs! Additionally, ensure the bowl and utensils you intend to make use of to your meringue are utterly clear, dry, and grease-free.

Bear in mind, that is simply an summary of the elements I used and why. For the complete recipe please scroll all the way down to the tip of the publish!

Make Lemon Meringue Pie

Blind-Bake the Crust

1. Roll out your chilled pie dough, then switch it to a 9″ pie plate. Crimp or flute the sides, then place within the freezer for quarter-hour.
2. Place your pie plate on a baking sheet and line with parchment. Fill with pie weights, then place in your preheated oven for quarter-hour.
3. Egg wash: take away the crust from the oven, fastidiously elevate out the parchment and pie weights, and put aside. Poke the underside crust with a fork, then brush throughout with egg wash (this helps hold the pie crust from changing into soggy).
4. Bake for a further 10-12 minutes or till the crust is starting to show golden brown, then let cool utterly.

Make the Lemon Filling

Since I made the meringue a tad extra difficult, I wished to seek out different methods to simplify the pie, and I used to be ready to do that within the filling. My model comes along with no have to mood eggs (this methodology is just like what I take advantage of for my pastry cream, and it really works like a dream!)

1. Whisk collectively the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan, then drizzle within the lemon juice whereas whisking. Maintain whisking till the combination is easy and mixed.
2. Whisk within the egg yolks and lemon zest, then drizzle within the water.
3. Prepare dinner just under medium warmth whereas whisking consistently. As soon as the combination thickens, take away it from the warmth.
4. Pour the curd by a high-quality mesh strainer and right into a heatproof bowl. A high-quality mesh strainer is vital right here, if any bits of egg cooked or any lumps shaped whereas cooking, the strainer will catch them so your filling might be utterly easy.
5. Add the butter and whisk till easy and totally integrated.
6. Pour the filling into your cooled crust and put aside. I prefer to tent mine with foil so the filling stays heat–this helps the filling and meringue stick collectively and avoids that slippery, weepy layer that nobody desires to seek out of their pie.

Make the Meringue

To stop the meringue from weeping and to assist it maintain its form, we’re technically utilizing a Swiss meringue (whereas most lemon meringue pies use French meringue such as you’d discover in my macarons or meringues).

Should you’ve made my marshmallow frosting or Swiss meringue buttercream, you’ve executed this earlier than; it’s not difficult and is a good way to stabilize the meringue so that you don’t have to fret about undercooking it within the oven (a giant weeping perpetrator). Swiss meringue additionally stands up higher to humidity and different points that set off weeping!

1. Whisk collectively the cream of tartar, sugar, and salt in a clear, dry, grease-free bowl. Add the egg whites and whisk till integrated, then place over a double boiler that’s simmering on medium-low warmth (the underside of your bowl mustn’t contact the water!).
2. Whisk consistently till the sugar dissolves; check this by fastidiously rubbing a small drop of the combination between your fingers (it’ll be scorching, watch out and let it cool first!) — you shouldn’t really feel any grit from the sugar granules!
3. Take away the bowl from the warmth, dry it off, then place in a stand mixer. Beat on medium excessive velocity till the meringue reaches thick, stiff, and shiny peaks. Add the vanilla extract and stir till mixed.
4. Gently scoop the meringue over the pie filling and use the again of a spoon or spatula to create peaks. Bake for a further 10-12 minutes or till the peaks are starting to show a pleasant brown shade. Let the pie cool to room temperature for an hour, then place within the fridge to sit back for about 4 hours earlier than slicing and serving.

SAM’S TIP: Be sure that the underside of your bowl doesn’t contact the water when place in your double boiler; it ought to keep suspended! I usually use my stand mixer bowl and a medium saucepan, then I can simply dry off the underside of the bowl and place it on my stand mixer with the whisk attachment to simply make my meringue.

Continuously Requested Questions

I do know lots of you have got been wanting ahead to this recipe, and I can’t wait to listen to the way you prefer it!

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