Ingredients
- Meringue Crust:
- 4 egg whites
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- Filling:
- 5 egg yolks
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, softened
- 1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Butter a 9-inch deep glass pie dish and set aside.
Crust:
Beat egg whites until frothy. Add cream of tartar and beat until frothy. Add sugar slowly and beat until thick and glossy.
Spoon meringue into pan, shaping it like a pie shell. Bring the sides up high so that it will hold all the filling. (The meringue will bake exactly as you shape it.)
Bake for one hour, or until meringue is firm and golden brown. Remove from oven and cool.
Filling:
In the top of a double boiler over boiling water, combine egg yolks, lemon juice, sugar, and butter. Stir constantly until thick and custardy. Remove from heat. Pour mixture through a sieve, into a bowl. Stir in lemon rind. Lay a piece of clear film on top of lemon curd and refrigerate until cool.
When lemon curd is cool, prepare whipped cream.
In a separate bowl, using an electric mixer, beat cream, vanilla, and sugar. Whip until thick. Spread half the cream in the meringue shell. Spread lemon curd on cream. Pile remaining cream on top of curd and refrigerate for 24 hours before serving.
Yield: one 9-inch pie