Lemon Meringue Pie Bars

By Tingrin3

Ingredients

• Crust:
• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, cut into cubes
• Filling:
• 6 large eggs
• 2 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup lemon juice
• zest of 2 medium sized lemons
• Meringue:
• 3 large egg whites
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar

Preparation

Step 1

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350.
In a medium bowl, mix together flour and powdered sugar for crust. Cut in butter (I use my hands, you could also use a fork or a food processor) until the mixture forms a dough. Pat it into a 9x13 pan. It will be very thin -- that is fine.
Bake crust for about 10 minutes, until puffed and golden around the edges.
Prepare filling -- in the bowl of your mixer, beat eggs, sugar, lemon juice, and zest on medium speed for about a minute and a half. Pour over crust and bake for about 20 minutes or until filling is set and no longer runny on top. Remove from oven, let cool, and chill bars until cold and firm.
In a metal mixing bowl set over a pot of simmering water, whisk together egg whites and sugar for meringue. Whisk until sugar seems to have melted and the mixture forms a syrup, about 10 minutes. Remove from stove and set bowl on your mixer. Beat on high with the whisk attachment until it forms stiff peaks.
Cut bars into squares. Pipe or spoon meringue on bars and brown each with a small kitchen torch. Alternately - you could spoon meringue over entire pan of bars before cutting and brown under your broiler - I just find that the bars cut neater before meringue is added and I prefer the look.