Ingredients
Method
- Heat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Unroll the pie crust into a 9-inch glass pie dish and crimp the edges. Prick the bottom with a fork, line with parchment paper, and fill with pie weights. Bake for 15 minutes, remove the weights, and bake another 5 minutes until lightly browned. Set aside and drop the oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Combine the one and a half cups of sugar, cornstarch, salt, and cold water in a medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until the mixture comes to a rolling boil. Keep whisking constantly for two full minutes until the liquid turns thick and translucent.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat. Whisk about a half cup of the hot liquid into the beaten egg yolks to warm them up, then pour the yolk mixture back into the saucepan. Put the pan back on the stove and cook for two more minutes while stirring constantly.
- Take the pan off the heat again. Stir in the butter, lemon juice, and lemon zest until smooth. Pour this hot filling directly into the baked pie crust.
- Place the egg whites and cream of tartar in a large, clean glass bowl. Beat on medium speed with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining half cup of sugar, one tablespoon at a time, beating on high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form.
- Spoon the meringue immediately over the hot lemon filling. Spread it all the way to the edges of the crust to seal it completely. Use the back of your spoon to pull up decorative peaks across the top.
- Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 12 to 15 minutes, just until the meringue peaks turn golden brown.
- Cool the pie on a wire rack for one hour at room temperature. Transfer it to the refrigerator and chill for at least four hours before attempting to slice it.
Notes
Always use freshly squeezed lemon juice. The bottled juice has preservatives that alter the flavor and sometimes interfere with how the cornstarch sets.
Do not make this pie on a very humid day if you can avoid it. Meringue acts like a sponge and will absorb moisture from the air, making it sticky and prone to weeping.
If you forget to take your eggs out early, place the whole, uncracked eggs in a bowl of warm water for ten minutes to take the chill off before separating them.
Do not make this pie on a very humid day if you can avoid it. Meringue acts like a sponge and will absorb moisture from the air, making it sticky and prone to weeping.
If you forget to take your eggs out early, place the whole, uncracked eggs in a bowl of warm water for ten minutes to take the chill off before separating them.