Dana's Lemon Meringue Pie with Graham Cracker Crust

• porcijos: 9-10in single crust pie

Ingredientai

For crust

- 1.5 cups (180g) Honey Maid graham cracker crumbs (12 full sheet graham crackers)

- 1/4 cup granulated sugar

- 6-7 TBSP unsalted butter, melted

For Filling

- 5 large egg yolks (use the whites in the meringue below)

- 1 and 1/3 cups (320 ml) water

- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar

1/3 cup (38g) cornstarch

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup (120ml) fresh lemon juice (juice of 2 lemons)

1 TBSP lemon zest (zest of 2 lemons)

2 TBSP (28g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

For Meringue

- 5 large egg whites, at room temperature (best to separate while cold and then leave out - make sure there is no yolk)

- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar

- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar

- 1/8 tsp salt

Nurodymai

Prep

Make Crust:

1.     Grind graham crackers in food processor into fine crumbs

2.     Stir the graham cracker crumbs and granulated sugar together in medium bowl

3.     Stir in the melted butter. The mixture will be thick, coarse and sandy. Try to smash/ break up any large chunks

4.     Pour the mixture into an ungreased 8in, 9in or 10in pie dish. With medium pressure using your hand, pat the crumbs down into the bottom and up the sides to make a compact crust. Do not pack down with heavy force because that makes the crust too hard. Simply pat down until the mixture is no longer crumby/crumbly. Use fingers of one hand and thumb of other hand to make the sides thick and packed in on top (don’t go over the edge of the pie tin).

Tip: You can use a small flat-bottomed measuring cup to help press down the bottom crust and smooth out the surface, but do not pack down too hard. If making a pie, run a spoon around the bottom “corner” where the edge and bottom meet to help make a rounded crust⁠—this helps prevent the crust from falling apart when you cut slices.

5.     No need to pre-bake the crust for this recipe (could pre-bake at 350 degrees for 10 mins – but seemed like it got overbaked that way – might want to put in just for a couple mins to warm it before adding filling)

Make filling

1. Preheat oven to 350

2. Whisk the egg yolks together in a medium bowl. Set aside.

3. Whisk the water, granulated sugar, cornstarch, salt, lemon juice, and lemon zest together in a medium saucepan over medium heat. The mixture will be thin and cloudy, then eventually begin thickening and bubbling after about 6 minutes. (mine took a little longer)

4. Once thickened, give it a whisk and reduce heat to low.

5. Temper the egg yolks. Very slowly stream a few large spoonfuls of warm lemon mixture into the beaten egg yolks. Then, also in a very slow stream, whisk the egg yolk mixture into the saucepan.

6. Turn heat back up to medium. Cook until the mixture is thick and big bubbles begin bursting at the surface.

7. Remove the pan from heat

8. Whisk in the butter.

9. Spread filling into warm crust.

10. Set aside as you prepare meringue. (Don’t let the filling cool down too much as you want a warm filling when you top with the meringue in step 7. The warm filling helps seal the two layers together, preventing separation.)

Note: Do NOT lick spoon and put back in the filling. Any trace of saliva can keep the curd from setting up.

Make meringue

1. With a handheld mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar together on medium speed for 1 minute

2. Then increase to high speed until soft peaks form, about 4 more minutes.

3. Add the sugar and salt, then continue beating on high speed until glossy stiff peaks form, about 2 more minutes.

4. Spread meringue on top of filling. (I like to make decorative peaks with the back of a large spoon.) Make sure you spread the meringue all the way to the edges so that it touches the crust. This helps prevent the meringue from weeping.

Cook pie

1. Bake pie on the lowest oven rack for 20-25 minutes. (If the meringue is browning too quickly, tent a piece of foil over it as best you can without the foil touching the meringue.)

2. When pie is done, remove from the oven, place on a wire rack, and allow to cool at room temperature for 1 hour before placing in the refrigerator to chill.

3. Chill for 4 hours before slicing and serving.

Pastabos

Cover any leftovers and store in the refrigerator. Lemon meringue pie tastes best on day 1 because it doesn’t keep very well. No matter how hard you try to prevent it, the meringue will wilt and separate over time. Best to enjoy right away.

Prepare all ingredients in advance of starting meringue or filling (zest & juice lemons, separate eggs, set out all ingredients and measuring tools, etc.)

Do NOT lick spoon and put back in the filling. Any trace of saliva can keep the curd from setting up.

Adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction

https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/lemon-meringue-pie/