Lemon Meringue Pie

By Cookie67

Ingredients

• MERINGUE:
• 1 Pastry crust for 9-inch pie
• 3 to 4 Large Lemons
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 6 egg yolks (save whites for meringue)
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, cut up
• 6 egg whites
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1/2 cup sugar

Preparation

Step 1

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. fit pastry into a 9-inch pie plate. roll dough under and crimp for fluted edge. Prick crust with fork. Line with foil, fill foil with dried beans or pie weights.

2. Bake at 425 degrees for 12 minutes. Remove foil and beans. Bake 8 minutes or until golden. Cool.

3. Grate 2 tbsp rind; set aside. Squeeze 1/4 cup juice from lemons. Mix sugar, cornstarch, salt in saucepan. Stir in 2 1/4 cups water, lemon juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring, 15 to 20 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. cook another 2 to 3 minutes, stirring. Remove from heat.

4. Beat yolks lightly in bowl. Stir 1/2 cup hot lemon mixture into yolks, then stir yolk mixture back into full lemon mixture in saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring 1 minute (don't overcook) Off heat, add butter and grated lemon rind. Pour into baked crust.

5. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.

Meringue:
6. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar in large bowl until foamy. On high speed, beat in sugar. one tbsp at a time, until stiff peaks form.

Spoon meringue over filling, spreading to edge of crust to seal. Swirl into peaks.

7. Bake on lower rack at 325 for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool on rack up to 2 hours. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before slicing.