Tequila-Key Lime Meringue Pie

By angielaine

Made this with Mom in Austin for Steve Churchill, Ana, and Carlos

Ingredients

• For crust:
• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 6 Tbsp. Melted butter
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. ground cinammon
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• For filling:
• 8 large egg yolks
• 2 (14-oz.) cans sweetened condensed milk
• 3/4 cups key lime juice
• 2 Tbsp. Lime zest (I could do without this or mince it finer)
• 1 Tbsp. Tequila
• For topping:
• 3 Tbsp. cold water
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. corn starch
• 2/3 cup boilin gwater
• 4 large egg whites
• 1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp kosher salt

Details

Adapted from southernliving.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together first 5 ingredients; firmly press mixture on bottom and up sides of a lightly greased 9 1/2-inch deep dish pie plate (mine is not deep enough). Bake 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer to wire rack and cool completely.

Whisk together egg yolks and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl; poor mixture into cooled crust. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes or until set. (Ours didn't fully set, so it was runnier than it should have been). Cool completely on a wire rack (about 1 hour).

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk 3 Tbs. cold water into cornstarch in a 1-qt. saucepan; whisk in 2/3 cup boiling water. Cook over medium heat; whisking constantly, 1 minute or until a thick gel forms. Remove from heat; cool completely (about 30 minutes).

Beat 4 egg whites and cream of tarter at medium-high speed with an electric stand mixer, until foamy. Gradually add 1 cup sugar; beat until glossy, stiff peaks form. Beat in vanilla and salt. Slowly beat in cornstarch mixture. Beat 3 minutes.

Spread meringue over a cooled pie, and bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or until meringue is golden brown. Transfer to wire rack, and cool completely. Serve at room temperature or cover and chill.