Grandma’s Lemon Meringue Pie
A recipe from Create Cooking Challenge 2017 second-place winner Chris Nance.
Recipe Ingredients
- Pie ingredients
- - 9-inch deep dish pie crust
- - ⅓ (one-third) cup + 1 tablespoon corn starch
- - 1½ cups sugar
- - 1½ cups water pinch of salt
- - Zest of 2 lemons
- - 3 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
- - 3 tablespoons butter
- - Juice of 2 lemons
- Meringue ingredients
- - 3 large egg whites
- - ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- - 7 tablespoons sugar
- - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Recipe Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F. Using a fork, score the bottom of a 9-inch deep-dish pie crust all over the bottom and sides.
- Place pie crust onto a baking sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool. While the pie shell is cooling, make your filling.
- Separate egg whites from yolks, and place into different bowls. Set aside.
- In a saucepan, whisk together sugar, cornstarch and salt. Gradually stir in water with a wooden spoon. Continue stirring until sugar mixture is fully dissolved. Use whisk if necessary.
- Add lemon zest. Cook over medium to high heat. Using your wooden spoon, stir constantly until mixture begins to boil and thicken. Once mixture has fully thickened and becomes transparent, remove from heat.
- Temper egg yolks by gradually adding half of the filling mixture. Be sure to stir constantly as you are adding the mixture. Next, gradually add the egg mixture back into the saucepan, stirring until fully combined.
- Place pan back onto the stove and reduce heat to medium. Add butter. Continue stirring until butter has melted and incorporated with filling. Next, add lemon juice, stir until combined.
- Continue stirring until sauce has re-thickened, approximately 3 to 4 minutes.
- Once finished, pour filling evenly into pie shell. It is time to prepare the meringue.
- Using a standalone mixer or hand mixer, beat egg whites until foaming and they begin to take shape.
- Add in cream of tartar. Next, slowly add in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Continue mixing until stiff peaks begin to form, approximately 5 minutes.
- Next, add your vanilla extract. Continue mixing until stiff and glossy.
- When meringue is done, spoon onto pie filling, carefully sealing meringue to the edge of the crust to help prevent shrinking or weeping. Use a spoon to create peaks or swirls throughout the meringue.
- Bake pie in oven at 350 degrees F for about 12 to 15 minutes, or until meringue has browned. Remove pie from oven and allow to cool completely before slicing, approximately 1 hour.