Summer Citrus Series: Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe
- Jul 29, 2017
- 7 min read
Lemon Meringue Pie
Lemon Curd
Ingredients
2/3 cup plus 1/8 cup (2 tablespoons) granulated sugar
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
3 large whole eggs
4 large egg yolks
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice (approx. 8 small, 6 medium or 4 large lemons)
1/4 cup plus 3/4 teaspoon or 1/2 cup plus 1/2 tablespoon (1 1/2 teaspoons) cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
Equipment
Microplane or zester
Juicer
Food scale (optional)
Graduated or set of measuring cup(s)
Set of measuring spoons
Food processor
Heavy bottom saucepan with lid
Whisk(s)
Mixing bowls
Food Thermometer
Stainless steel or glass wide mouthed bowl with smaller bowl (capable of holding the curd)
Fine mesh strainer
Spatula or spoon
Plastic Wrap (Parchment Paper and Aluminum Foil, optional)
Cube butter into ½ inch pieces. Chill in refrigerator.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 Celsius) if planning to bake pie after finishing curd.
Zest and juice lemons.
Combine 2/3 cup of the sugar and all the zest in a food processor and pulse until the sugar is yellow and very fragrant, about one minute.
Place 2 to 3 inches of water into a heavy bottom sauce pan and cover. Place on burner on low heat.
Whisk cornstarch, the 1/8 cup of sugar and 2 tablespoons water together in a metal or glass bowl until smooth. I use a Kitchen Aid mixer bowl.
Combine the lemon sugar and juice and stir for 30 seconds, to distribute the sugar evenly or until the sugar is dissolved.
Place mixer bowl on top sauce pan and whisk until cornstarch mixture is thickened, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat. Recover sauce pan.
Combine sweetened lemon juice mixture, egg yolks and whole eggs.
Place ice and enough water to submerge ice into the wide mouthed bowl.
Prepare a smaller bowl (capable of holding the curd) by placing a fine mesh strainer into bowl. Sit the smaller bowl in the bowl or ice and water.
Whisk lemon egg mixture into the cornstarch mixture. Place bowl on top of the sauce pan over low heat and whisk constantly until mixture reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit (72 Celsius), about 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove bowl from sauce pan. Add butter and whisk constantly, until butter is melted.
Using a spatula or spoon pass curd through a fine mesh strainer.
Once finished straining the curd cover the surface of the curd with plastic wrap to avoid a skin forming.
Stir periodically until curd is cooled completely.
Refrigerate overnight or place into prebaked pie shell.
Place pie in oven and bake for 15 to 25 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 Celsius) or until the curd is set. To easily transfer the pie to and from the oven, I always place the pie tin on a lined sheet pan.
Place on a wire rack to cool. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Italian Meringue
Ingredients
4 large egg whites (120 grams)
4 oz. - 8 oz. granulated sugar (depending how sweet you want it)
1 oz. - 2 oz. water
Pinch of cream tartar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Equipment
Mixer with whisk attachment
Food Thermometer
Heavy bottom saucepan with lid
Pastry brush (optional)
Set of measuring cups
Set of measuring spoons
Food scale (optional)
Handheld torch or Broiler
Place the egg whites and the cream tartar in to a mixer bowl fitted with a whisk attachment.
Place the water then the sugar, except for 2 tablespoons, in a heavy bottom saucepan.
Set up a cup of water with a pastry brush to remove any stray sugar crystals from the sides of the pan by washing the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush. (I’m including this step as an option. I have only ever needed to use this technique two times out of the hundreds of times that I have made a sugar syrup.)
Cover the pan and place over medium heat for 4 minutes.
Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Continue cooking, without stirring, to 240 degrees Fahrenheit (116 Celsius).
When the sugar syrup has reached 230 degrees Fahrenheit (110 Celsius), whip the egg whites on medium speed until frothy. Slowly add the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar and beat the whites to medium peaks.
When the sugar syrup has reached 240 degrees Fahrenheit (116 Celsius), add it in a slow and steady stream to the egg whites while whipping at medium speed.
Whip the mixture on high speed for 3 to 5 minutes. Add in the vanilla extract while the meringue is whipping.
Remove pie from the refrigerator. Take off the plastic wrap and gently pat the surface with a paper towel if any moisture has developed.
Place as much or as little meringue onto the surface of the pie in a desired pattern. My favorite is to swirl the meringue in alternating half circles. Make sure to push meringue to the edge of the pie shell.
To finish the pie either toast the meringue with a handheld torch or place under the broiler until golden.
Feel free to use a pie dough of your choice. If you need guidance or what to try a new recipe, below is Sherry Yards’ Master 3 - 2 - 1 Flaky Pie Dough. This recipe makes enough dough for (2) 9" pies or (1) 9" double crust pie. Cut the recipe in half if you only need dough for one pie.
Sherry Yards’ Master 3 – 2 - 1 Flaky Pie Dough
Ingredients
2 stick cold unsalted butter
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup ice water
½ teaspoon white wine or Champagne vinegar
Equipment
Set of measuring cups
Set of measuring spoons
Mixer with paddle attachment
Mixing bowl
Small bowl
Plastic wrap
Rolling pin
Offset spatula (optional)
Parchment paper, aluminum foil or coffee filter
Faux filling (dried rice, dried beans or pie weights)
Kitchen scissors or small knife
Pie tin
Cut the butter into 1 inch pieces and place it in the freezer to chill for 15 minutes.
Sift together the flour and sugar into the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. (To mix the dough by hand, see below.) Sifting eliminates lumps and aerates the mixture, making the dough tender and lighter. Add the partially frozen butter and salt. Mix on low speed for 2 minutes, or until the butter is reduced to the size of broken walnut meats, Stop the machine and by hand pinch flat any large pieces of butter that remain.
Combine the ice water and vinegar in a small bowl. The amount of water is variable. It is better to have a slightly wet, tacky dough than one that is too dry. Add a little more water if your dough seems dry. Turn the mixer on low speed and add the liquid all at once. Mix just until the dough comes together, about 15 seconds. The dough should be tacky but not stick.
To mix flaky pie dough by hand sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl. Add the partially frozen butter and, using a wire pastry cutter, incorporate it into the flour as directed in the recipe. Or use your fingers, pressing the butter and flour between your thumb and index finger to create flattened broken walnut meat size pieces. Add the liquid all at once, mixing it in lightly with a fork until the dough just comes together.
Remove the dough from the bowl and wrap it in plastic film. Do not squeeze the dough together or overwork it. Chill for at least 1 hour. At this point, the dough will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 weeks. For freezing, however, I prefer to roll it out into a sheet and wrap it airtight in plastic film.
To begin rolling, shape the dough into a flat disk, 1 inch thick. If the dough is round when the rolling starts, it is more likely to be round when the rolling is complete. Knead the dough briefly to make it more pliable, but be careful not to overwork it, or it will become tough.
Dust the work surface and the dough lightly with all-purpose flour to keep the dough from sticking. Place the rolling pin firmly on the dough and rock it back and forth a few times to soften it. Dust frequently and lightly with all-purpose flour when necessary. Roll over the dough 3 times with the pin and then use your hands to give the dough a quarter turn clockwise; this will prevent the dough from sticking to the surface. Repeat the 3 passes with the pin and then turn the dough clockwise again.
By rotating the dough frequently, you make the finished dough more or less round, and you will immediately know if the dough sticks to the surface. Continue the rolling pattern until the dough is ¼ inch thick and 2 to 3 inches larger than the pan it’s going to bake in. If the dough begins to stick, scrape it from underneath with an offset metal spatula. Pull the dough back and dust the work surface with all-purpose flour.
After rolling, the dough should still be cool. Wind the circle of dough around the rolling pin and lift it over the pan, then place it loosely inside. Holding the edge of the dough up, ease the dough into the pan. (If the dough has warmed up a bit, gently fold the dough into half, then into quarters. Lift into the pan and unfold the dough. Cover with plastic film and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.) Gently press the dough into the corners. This step prevents the sides of the dough from shrinking when a filling is added. Gently press off the excess dough by hand or cut it away using scissors. Do not roll the pin over the sharp edge of a tart pan, because it will put nicks in the pin.
To flute or crimp the edges of the tart or pie, use scissors to cut the excess dough off ½ inch from the edge of the pan. Fold the ½ inch dough under and pinch together. Then go around the edge again, decoratively fluting it with your fingers or pressing it with a fork or spoon. After crimping, chill the shell for at least 15 minutes to help maintain the decorative shape when filling and baking. (It can also be wrapped airtight and frozen.
To blind-bake, preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit (220 Celsius). Adjust the rack to lower third of the oven. Prick the bottom of the pastry a few times with a fork. Line the pastry shell with parchment paper, aluminum foil, plastic film (no, it doesn’t melt), or a pan-sprayed coffee filter. Fill the lined shell a quarter of the way up with a faux filling (dried rice, dried beans or pie weights) and gently press the filling into the corners. Bake for 10 minutes, then turn the heat down to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 Celsius) and bake for 10 minutes more.
Remove from the oven and remove the faux filling and the lining. Bake for 10 minutes more, or until the center turns golden and looks dry. There should be no sign of moisture. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan on a rack.
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