Pies and lemons are flavor favorites across the country. This week is going to be a great opportunity to bake a delicious pie. So, hope you're hungry because August fifteenth is National Lemon Meringue Pie Day!
Lemon meringue pie is a dessert usually baked with a simple shortbread crust. There is a white, fluffy meringue on top of lemon curd filling.
A lemon curd filling is created with a mixture of ingredients. In a heated saucepan, combined ingredients including lemons and cornstarch are mixed together into a thin paste. The mixture is then brought to a boil and stirred until thickened. After it's finished, it's placed into the pie crust to be baked. Tasting it should make your tongue zing with the lemon taste.
A meringue is made of egg whites stirred together with white sugar until light and fluffy. Meringue is finished when it is risen with a crisp top with golden brown tips. Meringue was created in the 17th century and turned into lemon meringue pie in the 19th century.
So, this Thursday preheat your oven and enjoy a day to bake a lemon meringue pie with your family and friends before the summer ends!
Grandma's Lemon Meringue Pie
Ingredients
1 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups water
2 lemons, juiced and zested
2 tablespoons butter
4 egg yolks, beaten
1 (9 inch) pie crust, baked
4 egg whites
6 tablespoons white sugar
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
To Make Lemon Filling: In a medium saucepan, whisk together 1 cup sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt. Stir in water, lemon juice and lemon zest. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until mixture comes to a boil. Stir in butter. Place egg yolks in a small bowl and gradually whisk in 1/2 cup of hot sugar mixture. Whisk egg yolk mixture back into remaining sugar mixture. Bring to a boil and continue to cook while stirring constantly until thick. Remove from heat. Pour filling into baked pastry shell.
To Make Meringue: In a large glass or metal bowl, whip egg whites until foamy. Add sugar gradually, and continue to whip until stiff peaks form. Spread meringue over pie, sealing the edges at the crust.
Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until meringue is golden brown.
