Lemon Meringue Pie

Holiday favorite.  Gone are the days when you can get lemon pie filling so for this one you have to go for scratch. Well for everything except the crust haha. Marie Callender and I are really good friends for the crust.

1 baked pie crust

For the Lemon Filling:

1 1/4 c. granulated sugar

1/3 c. cornstarch

2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

5 egg yolks

1/4 c. unsalted butter

1/4 c. fresh lemon juice (from about 2 whole lemons)

1 Tbsp. finely grated lemon zest

For the Meringue:

5 egg whites

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/3 c. granulated sugar

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

Directions:

For the lemon filling: Whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, flour, and salt in a medium saucepan. Gradually stir in 1 1/2 cups cold water until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture boils, about 5 minutes. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly, then remove from the heat.

Whisk the egg yolks in a small bowl. While whisking, slowly add 1/4 cup of the hot sugar mixture into the egg yolks. Gradually stir the yolk mixture from the bowl back into the remaining sugar mixture in the saucepan. Return to medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until a thermometer reads 180˚. Remove from the heat and immediately stir in the butter, lemon juice and zest, until the butter is completely melted. Pour the filling into the cooled pie crust. Let it cool for 15 minutes. Press a piece of plastic wrap onto the surface of the filling, then cool in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

For the meringue: Place a medium saucepan filled with 1-inch of water over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Whisk together the egg whites, vanilla, sugar, salt, and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Place the mixing bowl over the simmering water and continue to mix, scraping the sides of the bowl frequently with a rubber spatula so that the egg whites don’t cook, until the sugar has dissolved into the egg whites, 3 to 5 minutes. (When you rub some of the mixture together in your fingers, you should not feel any texture/sugar granules. If using a thermometer, the temperature should read around 160˚.) Transfer the bowl to a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and whisk on medium-high speed for 4 to 5 minutes, until the meringue is glossy and holds a medium-stiff peak. Dollop the meringue over top of the pie to completely cover the lemon filling and swirl with the back of a spoon.

Toast the meringue with under a broiler (about 8 inches from the broiler element heated to high heat) for 1 minute, until lightly toasted. Let cool completely to room temperature, then serve.