The Best Lemon Meringue Pie topcook.tomathouse.com
Ingredients:
Cake
- 1 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for work (see Note)
- 2 tbsp. chilled shortening
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- 0.5 tsp fine salt
- 0.5 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 6 tablespoons very cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 3-6 tablespoons of ice water
Filling
- 1 cup of sugar
- 5 tablespoons cornstarch
- 0.5 tsp fine salt
- 0.5 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice + 2 tsp lemon zest
- 4 large egg yolks
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Meringue
- Whites of 5 large eggs
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
- A pinch of fine salt
- 0.5 tsp vanilla extract
Preparation:
- Cake:
In a food processor, pulse the flour, shortening, sugar, salt, and vinegar until the mixture resembles wet sand, about 10 pulses. Add the butter and pulse until it forms pea-sized pieces. Sprinkle with 3 tablespoons of ice water and pulse on high until the dough begins to come together. Press the dough together in your hand; if it doesn't hold together, add up to 3 more tablespoons of ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough reaches the desired consistency.
- Place the dough on a sheet of plastic wrap. Using the edges of the wrap, shape it into a disk. Wrap tightly and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour, or preferably overnight. Freeze for up to 2 months.
- On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough into a 32cm (12in) circle. Transfer it to a 22cm (9in) pie pan, gently pressing the dough to the edges and allowing any excess to hang over the sides. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 190°C.
- Trim off any excess dough with a knife and crimp the edges with your fingers or the tines of a fork. Prick the bottom of the pan with a fork in several places. Line the pan with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans/rice. Bake for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the parchment and weights and bake until the edges are golden brown and the center is crisp, another 10-12 minutes. Let the cake cool to room temperature.
- Filling:
In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Add the lemon juice and 1.5 cups of water and whisk to combine. Whisk the egg yolks in a separate medium bowl. Place the saucepan over medium heat and cook, whisking gently, until the mixture begins to bubble and becomes very thick.
- Temper the yolks by slowly adding half of the hot sugar mixture to the yolks, whisking constantly. Pour the tempered yolks into the saucepan and return to the heat. Bring the cream to a boil and cook, stirring constantly with a silicone spatula, for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and lemon zest.
- Spread the filling on the pie crust and cover with plastic wrap, placing it directly on the surface of the filling. Refrigerate while you prepare the meringue.
- Meringue:
Place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Add the sugar, cream of tartar, and salt. Whisk. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water. Heat in a double boiler, whisking constantly, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is hot to the touch. Return the bowl to the mixer and add the vanilla extract. Beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, 5-6 minutes.
- Remove the plastic wrap from the pie and carefully spoon the meringue over the filling. Using an offset spatula, spread it over the filling, making sure it reaches all the way to the crust. This will seal the filling and prevent it from getting steamy. Use an offset spatula to create swirls and curls on the surface of the meringue.
- Toast the meringue with a blowtorch or in the oven on broil until golden brown, watching carefully to avoid burning, 1-2 minutes. Refrigerate the pie until the filling cools completely and sets, about 4 hours.
Note
When measuring flour, we spoon it into a measuring cup and remove any excess. Scooping flour directly from the bag with a measuring cup will compact it, resulting in dry baked goods..
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