Lemon Meringue Pie

Posted on by Haschaeffer

Lemon Meringue Pie

  • Servings: depends on who is cutting
  • Difficulty: moderate
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Mama Schaeffer’s recipe, written down by Peggy Schaeffer, with clarification and guidance from the 9th edition of the Better Homes and Garden Cookbook

Ingredients

  • 1 baked pie shell
  • 1/2 cup cold water
  • 7t corn starch
  • 1 1/4 cups hot water
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
  • 3 lemons, grated and juiced, to get 1 1/4 lemon juice
  • 1T butter
  • 3 egg whites
  • 1t lemon juice
  • 6T sugar

Directions


Mix 1/2 cup cold water and cornstarch to a thin paste. Combine 1 1/2 cups hot water and sugar in top of double boiler and bring to a boil over direct heat (see note). Add cornstarch paste and cook until mixture begins to thicken, return to (place on) double boiler and cook until thick and smooth (15 min), stirring constantly. Stir a small amount of mixture into beaten egg yolks, return to double boiler and cook a few minutes longer. Add lemon rind, juice, and butter and blend. Cool, stirring occasionally. Pour into baked pie shell. Top with meringue.

It seems that the sugar syrup should start over direct heat to get to the boil. Once this boils and the cornstarch paste is added one should cook using the double boiler to avoid hot spots or scalding.

You will have much more meringue than needed.

Meringue directions. Add lemon juice to egg whites and beat to soft peaks. Gradually add sugar and beat to form stiff peaks. Top pie with meringue, sealing to the crust edge. Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown.