Lemon Meringue Pie
Quick Cooking
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"My father loves lemon meringue pie and always wants one for his birthday," reports Susan Jones of Bradford, Ohio. "I rely on this recipe, which won first place at our county fair. It has a light flaky crust, refreshing lemon filling and soft meringue with pretty golden peaks."
SERVINGS: 6-8
CATEGORY: Dessert
METHOD: Baked
TIME: Prep: 30 min. + chilling Bake: 30 min. + cooling
Ingredients:
- 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 1/4 cup cold water
- FILLING:
- 1-1/2 cups sugar
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1-1/2 cups water
- 3 egg yolks, beaten
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/3 cup lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- MERINGUE:
- 3 egg whites
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 6 tablespoons sugar
Directions:
In a small bowl, combine flour and salt; cut in the shortening until crumbly. Gradually add water, tossing with a fork until dough forms a ball. Roll out pastry to fit a 9-in. pie plate. Transfer pastry to pie plate. Trim pastry to 1/2 in. beyond edge of pie plate; flute edges.
Line with a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Bake at 450° for 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove foil; cool on a wire rack.
For filling, in a small saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, flour and salt. Gradually stir in water. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly, about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. Gradually stir 1 cup hot filling into egg yolks; return all to pan. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in butter, lemon juice, peel and extract until butter is melted. Pour hot filling into crust.
In a small bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, on high until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved. Spread evenly over hot filling, sealing edges to crust.
Bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes or until the meringue is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving. Store leftovers in the refrigerator. Yield: 6-8 servings.