Lemon Meringue Pie

Name: Lemon Meringue Pie
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 150 min
Total time: 240 min
Yield: 9 pies
Ingredients: 1 disk flaky pie crust; 2 Meyer lemons or other large lemons (1/4 cup lemon juice); 2 eggs; 3 egg yolks; 6 tablespoons granulated sugar; 3 tablespoons salted butter, cut in 3 pieces; 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut in 3 pieces; 3 egg whites, at room temperature (about 1/2 cup); 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar; 6 tablespoons granulated sugar; 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Description: This adaptation of Alice Waters’s lemon meringue pie, which came to the Times in a 1987, takes a little time, but your efforts will be rewarded with a spectacular centerpiece dessert: a cloud of toasted meringue atop a pool of buttery and bright lemon curd in a light and flaky crust. If you can’t find Meyer lemons, which aren’t as tangy as regular lemons, and have a spicy, floral note, regular supermarket lemons will make a worthy substitute. This recipe makes an elegant pie with a restrained ratio of lemon curd to meringue, but if you want more of a showstopper — the towering kind you might find in a diner or at a church picnic, for instance — you can double the filling as some of our readers do, and as we did for the photograph above. (Although you certainly could, we did not double the meringue. If you don't, save the leftover egg whites for another use.)

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 150

Ingredients

1 disk flaky pie crust
2 Meyer lemons or other large lemons (1/4 cup lemon juice)
2 eggs
3 egg yolks
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 tablespoons salted butter, cut in 3 pieces
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut in 3 pieces
3 egg whites, at room temperature (about 1/2 cup)
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Prepare the shell: Roll the pastry into a 12-inch circle, 1/8-inch thick, and fit gently into the pan. Trim the edge a half-inch beyond the rim, fold under and crimp or pinch to make a decorative edge. Prick the bottom with a fork. Freeze the shell for 20 to 30 minutes.
Prepare the filling: Grate the zest from the lemons into a small, noncorrodable bowl. Strain in the lemon juice, then press through as much lemon pulp as possible.
In a heavy, noncorrodable saucepan, beat the eggs, yolks and sugar until just mixed. Stir in the lemon juice and pulp, then the six tablespoons of butter.
Cook, stirring constantly, over low to medium heat, until the mixture comes together and thickens enough to coat a spoon. Remove from heat, allow to stand five minutes, then whisk briefly to smooth. (Strain through a sieve if you prefer a completely smooth filling.) Set aside.
Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line the frozen shell with aluminum foil, weight with beans or pie weights and bake for 20 minutes, or until set and dry looking. Remove the weights and foil, turn the heat down to 350 and continue baking until shell is golden brown, about 12 to 15 minutes. Set aside and allow to cool slightly, but leave the oven on.
Spread the prepared filling in the shell and bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until the filling is just set. Remove pie and turn oven to 375.
Make the meringue. Beat the egg whites until frothy, add the cream of tartar and continue beating until rounded peaks form. Beat in sugar and vanilla.
Spread the meringue over the filling, making sure it meets the edges of the crust to make a seal. Swirl in a design with a knife or spatula and bake for about 10 minutes, or until the meringue is lightly browned.
Allow to cool completely, from one to two hours, but do not refrigerate.