Homemade Lemon Meringue Pie: A Delightfully Tangy Treat
A classic dessert featuring a flaky crust, tangy lemon filling, and a fluffy meringue topping.
Equipment
- mixing bowl
- pie plate
- saucepan
- whisk
- Rolling Pin
Ingredients
Pastry
- 1 cup very cold butter cut into small cubes
- 2 ½ cups flour
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ cup ice water or more, as needed
Filling
- ⅓ cup corn starch
- ⅓ cup cake flour
- Pinch salt
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 5 egg yolks slightly beaten
- Zest of 2 lemons finely chopped
- Juice of 2 lemons about 1/4 cup
- 2 cups water
- 3 tbsp butter
Meringue
- 5 egg whites
- 1 ¼ cups sugar
- ¼ tsp cream of tartar
- Pinch salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Blend cold butter with flour and salt until coarse, then add ice water until dough forms. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
- Roll out dough, fit into pie plate, trim edges, poke holes, and refrigerate again. Bake at 400°F for 12-15 minutes until golden.
- Combine corn starch, cake flour, sugar, and salt in a saucepan, stir in water, and heat until boiling. Temper egg yolks and return to pot, cooking for 3 more minutes.
- Pour filling into cooled crust and let sit while preparing meringue.
- Whip egg whites with vanilla, salt, and cream of tartar until soft peaks form, then gradually add sugar.
- Spread meringue over filling, ensuring it touches the crust, and bake at 325°F for 20-25 minutes until browned.
Notes
Use real dairy butter for the filling and do not exceed 1/4 cup of lemon juice; the zest provides most flavor.