Lemon Meringue Pie

Total Time Prep: 45 min. + chilling Bake: 15 min. + cooling
Yield 8 servings
Test Kitchen Approved
Our lemon meringue pie has a balanced, sweet-tart filling and a fluffy toasted meringue topping.

Ingredients

  • Dough for single-crust pie
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups water
  • 3 large egg yolks, beaten
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
  • MERINGUE:
  • 3 large egg whites, room temperature
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup sugar

Directions

  1. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle; transfer to a 9-in. pie plate. Trim to 1/2 in. beyond rim of plate; flute edge. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 425°.
  2. Line crust with a double thickness of foil. Fill with pie weights, dried beans or uncooked rice. Bake on a lower oven rack until edge is golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Remove foil and weights; bake until bottom is golden brown, 3-6 minutes longer. Cool on a wire rack. Reduce oven setting to 350°.
  3. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, flour and salt. Gradually stir in water. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes more. Remove from the heat.
  4. Gradually stir 1 cup hot mixture into egg yolks; return all to saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the butter, lemon juice and zest until smooth. Pour into pie crust.
  5. In a bowl, beat egg whites and salt until stiff (but not dry) peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar until soft peaks form. Spread over pie, sealing edge to crust. Bake at 350° until meringue is golden, 12-15 minutes. Cool. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.

Nutrition Facts

1 piece: 385 calories, 15g fat (9g saturated fat), 103mg cholesterol, 338mg sodium, 59g carbohydrate (38g sugars, 1g fiber), 5g protein.

Mother's pies were always so memorable, with tender, flaky crusts. In summer the order of the day was lemon meringue! —Phyllis Kirsling, Junction City, Wisconsin
Recipe Creator

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