Lemon Meringue Pie. There must be dozens or even hundreds of different recipes. Many involve cooking the filling, making a traditional pie crust, and building complicated meringues. My personal favorite is so simple and so easy.
First of all, a graham cracker crust, made with finely chopped walnuts, is a must. There's something about the nutty, soft crust that brings out the lemony flavor of the filling. And the soft, fluffy meringue is beautifully complemented by the simple, crumbly crust.
I have tried many different recipes, and this one is the best. It uses sweetened condensed milk with freshly squeezed (and you must use freshly squeezed) lemon juice. Since the eggs aren't cooked in this filling, and the small amount of oven time to brown the meringue isn't long enough to cook the eggs, you should use pasteurized eggs. You can find them in the regular grocery store; check the use-by dates carefully. It may take a bit longer than usual to beat these egg whites until stiff; just keep beating!
If you're serving a crowd this Easter, make two pies! And remember, leftovers the next day is the cook's treat. Happy Easter!
Lemon Meringue Pie
- 1-1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
- 7 Tbsp. butter, melted
- 1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 3 pasteurized egg yolks
- 3 pasteurized egg whites
- 1/8 tsp. cream of tartar
- 1/2 cup sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, nuts, and butter and mix until blended. Pour into 9" glass pie plate. Press crumbs on bottom and up sides of pie plate. Bake at 350 degrees F for 8-10 minutes until set and fragrant. Cool completely on wire rack.
Separate the eggs and let the egg whites stand at room temperature while you make the lemon filling. In small bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, and egg yolks and mix until combined. Pour into cooled pie crust and refrigerate.
In large bowl, combine egg whites with cream of tartar. Beat until foamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until stiff peaks form and sugar is dissolved (test a bit between your fingers; if you don't feel the grains of sugar, the meringue is done). Increase oven heat to 400 degrees F.
Drop meringue by spoonfuls over the lemon filling. Carefully spread to cover filling, making sure that meringue touches the graham cracker crust on the edges. Use spoon to make peaks and swirls in the meringue.
Bake at 400 degrees F for 10-15 minutes, or until meringue peaks start to brown. Cool on wire rack for 30 minutes, then cover and chill until serving time. Refrigerate any leftovers. Serves 8
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