Correction: I've been too intimidated to try making homemade pie crust and didn't feel like just making the filling. It just wouldn't be the same.
Anyway, now that I'm 20 years old and a full-fledged young adult, I figured that it's high time that I master pie. I've mastered bread, cookies, muffins, and pretty much any other baked treats. Pie? No problem!
And it really wasn't with this recipe. I love that the crust didn't need to be chilled, as so many of them do, because I get in baking frenzies and want to bake right then, not prep a bunch of stuff and bake later.
No Fail Lemon Meringue Pie
Makes 8 large slices
INGREDIENTS:
Crust:
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/8 cup butter, softened
2 tablespoons water
Filling:
1 can condensed milk
3 eggs
Juice of 2 large lemons
Zest of 1 large lemon
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
A few drops yellow food coloring (optional, it will taste the same without it, if you want to make the pie more natural)
INSTRUCTIONS:
1) Preheat oven to 350F.
2) Cut the butter into the flour, until you have approximately pea-sized clumps.
3) Mix the water in with a fork (you may need slightly less or slightly more) until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl. You may need to finish mixing with your hands, but don't knead or overmix.
4) Sprinkle flour on the waxy side of a sheet of wax paper.
5) Transfer the dough to the wax paper, sprinkle flour over the dough.
6) Cover the dough with another sheet of wax paper.
7) Roll out the pie crust to an even 12" circle.
8) Peel off the top sheet of wax paper.
9) Slide the pie crust round into a greased pie pan.
10) Prick all over with a fork.
11) Bake for about 15 minutes, until the crust is lightly golden.
DON'T WALK AWAY AND GET CAUGHT UP ON THE MINDY PROJECT. This is when you need to work on the filling!!
12) Separate the eggs, with the egg whites in a small mixing bowl and the yolks in a medium bowl.
13) Add the condensed milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, and optional food coloring to the yolk, mix them together for a few minutes until well-blended and thickened.
14) Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until they form soft peaks.
15) Mix the sugar and vanilla extract into the egg whites and beat some more, until you can form shiny stiff peaks (but trust me, don't try to the form peaks until you turn the mixer off. It's a mess you don't want to clean up).
16) Pull the pie crust out of the oven. Let cool for ten minutes.
17) Pour the lemon and condensed milk mixture into the pie shell.
18) Spread the beaten egg whites gently over the lemon filling with a spatula. If you want to be aesthetically awesome, you can try pressing the spatula in lightly and lifting lightly at intervals to make the pretty peaks people associate with lemon meringue pie. Or if you're a beginner, like me, you can just smooth it into an even layer.
19) Heat oven to 375F.
20) Bake for 15 minutes or so, until golden brown.
21) Remove from oven and resist the temptation to slice until it has cooled a bit. You can stick it in the fridge for 30 minutes to get it extra firm.
22) Slice into 8 large slices. Enjoy!
23) If you don't eat the pie on the porch (attracting the neighbors and making you the most beloved member of the neighborhood for the afternoon) there might be leftovers. Be sure to refrigerate them, since the recipe has eggs!
What recipe are you known for?
What's your favorite kind of pie? Mine is pecan pie, hands down, served warm with vanilla ice cream! I've never tried a chocolate pecan pie, but it sounds delicious.
Do you like your neighbors?
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