Ahhh yes 🍋🥧 Lemon Meringue Pie—tangy, sweet, and airy all at once. Let’s break it down step by step for a classic, crowd-pleasing version.
🍋 Lemon Meringue Pie
Ingredients
Crust (9-inch pie)
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (1 stick) cold butter, cubed
- 2–3 tbsp cold water
- Pinch of salt
Lemon Filling
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 ½ cups water
- 2 lemons, juiced and zested
- 2 tbsp butter
- 4 large egg yolks (reserve whites for meringue)
Meringue
- 4 egg whites
- 6 tbsp sugar
- ¼ tsp cream of tartar (optional, stabilizes meringue)
👩🍳 Instructions
1. Make the crust
- Cut butter into flour and salt until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Add cold water 1 tbsp at a time until dough forms.
- Roll out and fit into 9-inch pie pan. Prick bottom with fork.
- Pre-bake at 375°F / 190°C for 15–20 min until lightly golden. Cool slightly.
2. Make the lemon filling
- In a saucepan, whisk sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt.
- Gradually stir in water. Cook over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.
- Remove from heat. Stir in butter, lemon juice, and zest.
- Beat a small amount of hot mixture into egg yolks, then return yolks to saucepan.
- Cook 2 more minutes, stirring constantly. Pour into baked pie crust.
3. Make the meringue
- Beat egg whites with cream of tartar until soft peaks form.
- Gradually add sugar, beat until stiff, glossy peaks.
4. Top the pie
- Spread meringue over lemon filling, seal edges to crust to prevent shrinking.
- Bake at 350°F / 175°C for 10–12 min until meringue is golden.
5. Cool & serve
- Let pie cool completely at room temperature, then refrigerate 1–2 hours before slicing.
🔥 Pro Tips
- Seal edges of meringue to prevent weeping.
- Lemon zest intensifies the flavor.
- For a smoother meringue, ensure no yolk contamination in whites.
- Optional: torch the meringue for a restaurant-style finish.
I can also give a quick no-bake lemon meringue pie version that’s almost as impressive but ready in 30 minutes, perfect if you want instant gratification 😏.
Do you want me to write that version?
