Source: The Cook's Illustrated, 6/2006.
If using a hand-held mixer, you will need a very large, deep bowl and should move the beaters vigorously in step 3 to avoid underbeating the egg whites. This pie is best on the day it’s made.
Serves 8 to 10
Lemon Filling | |
| 1 1/4 | cups sugar |
| 1 | cup lemon juice (from 6 lemons) |
| 1/2 | cup water |
| 1/4 | cup cornstarch |
| 1/4 | teaspoon table salt |
| 8 | large egg yolks (reserve 4 whites for meringue) |
| 2 | tablespoons grated lemon zest |
| 3 | tablespoons unsalted butter , cut into pieces and softened |
| 1 | (9-inch) pie shell , fully baked and cooled |
Meringue | |
| 1/2 | cup water |
| 1 | cup sugar |
| 4 | large egg whites (reserved from filling) |
| Pinch table salt | |
| 1/2 | teaspoon cream of tartar |
| 1/2 | teaspoon vanilla extract |
1. For the filling: Whisk sugar, lemon juice, water, cornstarch, and salt together in large nonreactive saucepan until cornstarch is dissolved. Bring to simmer over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until mixture becomes translucent and begins to thicken, about 5 minutes. Whisk in yolks until combined. Stir in zest and butter. Bring to simmer and stir constantly until mixture is thick enough to coat back of spoon, about 2 minutes. Strain through fine-mesh strainer into pie shell and scrape filling off underside of strainer. Place plastic wrap directly on surface of filling and refrigerate until set and well chilled, at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.
2. For the meringue: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Combine water and sugar in small saucepan. Bring to vigorous boil over medium-high heat. Once syrup comes to rolling boil, cook 4 minutes (mixture will become slightly thickened and syrupy). Remove from heat and set aside while beating whites.
3. With electric mixer, beat whites in large bowl at medium-low speed until frothy, about 1 minute. Add salt and cream of tartar and beat, gradually increasing speed to medium-high, until whites hold soft peaks, about 2 minutes. With mixer running, slowly pour hot syrup into whites (avoid pouring syrup onto whisk or it will splash). Add vanilla and beat until meringue has cooled and becomes very thick and shiny, 5 to 9 minutes.
4. Using rubber spatula, mound meringue over filling, making sure meringue touches edges of crust. Use spatula to create peaks all over meringue. Bake until peaks turn golden brown, about 6 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and cool to room temperature. Serve.
STEP BY STEP: Weep No More
 1. After the sugar syrup comes to a full boil, cook it for exactly 4 minutes. |  2. Beat the egg whites with the salt and cream of tartar until they hold soft peaks. |
 3. With the mixer still running, carefully pour the hot sugar syrup directly into the beaten egg whites. |  4. Continue beating until the meringue has cooled to room temperature and is thick and fluffy. |
 1. Use a rubber spatula to press the meringue onto the edge of the pie crust. This will keep the meringue from shrinking. |  2. Use the spatula to make dramatic peaks and swirls all over the meringue. |
2 comments:
this looks sooo good!!! i can't make meringue pies to save my life.
Hello Miss Nicole! To be honest with you, I didn't read the recipe carefully enough and put 1/4 teaspoon of salt in the meringue! Go figure how it tasted like! The pie reminded me of a bakery in Taiwan called The Rose Pie (http://sh2.yahoo.edyna.com/rosepie/index.asp). They made meringue pies with many different fillings - red bean, mung bean, taro, etc. I used to go there very often when I studied in Hsinchu. They have any stores in Tainan but you can either order the pies on-line or just go to their stores in Taichung or Taipei (SOGO Department Store) when you get a chance.
Post a Comment