When Life gives you lemons…
Photo by Lina Kivaka: https://www.pexels.com/photo/close-up-photograph-of-a-lemon-meringue-pie-5732159/
There are so many ways to finish that phrase. Of course, most people say, make lemonade. But, today is national lemon meringue pie day. Doesn’t that sound better than lemonade? Besides, life is always better with pie. In fact, life would not exist without pi. But, we digress into math (and, we have already celebrated national pi day). And, most people aren’t thrilled by math. Although, eating 3.14 pieces of pie will make that better. So, today, we decide: when life gives you lemons, make lemon meringue pie.
But, do yourself and everyone else a favor, eat the pie, don’t throw it in someone’s face. As hilarious as that is, it’s a waste of good pie.
Table of Contents
When Life gives you lemons…Lemon meringue pie is on the menu
But, what is this wonderful confection? If you aren’t familiar with lemon meringue pie, you are probably a pre-renaissance individual (making you about 500 years old). For the rest of the world, it’s 3 things: crust, lemon custard, and toasted meringue. Long before someone realized chocolate and peanut butter went together, these three ingredients were combined. But, the actual invention date is elusive. The earliest recipes and mentions of meringue pies date back to the 1700’s. While there are claims that it was invented in America. Those “so called inventions” date to the 19th century. They may represent what we know as a lemon meringue pie today; but, they aren’t the true invention of the dish. It may be a part of Americana, but the lemon meringue pie is decidedly French.
All the ingredients have French origins. Heck, the name meringue is a French word. So, accept it for what it is, a French confection popularized in America. That doesn’t mean you have to put on airs to eat it. Quite to the contrary, it is part and parcel of the diner experience. You can have truck stop versions all the way to 4 star restaurant editions. But, it’s all fluffy, sweet, and tart, with a crunchy base. What’s not to love?
So, today, we can do one of 3 things:
- go to a diner or restaurant to get some lemon meringue pie
- Go to a bakery or store for the confection
- Make your own pie
While it is a popular pie, the first 2 options may not work. The popularity of pies is regional throughout the country. Lemon meringue may be popular in Alaska. But, pecan, key lime, pumpkin, and sweet potato rule in other parts of the country. So, it may not be popular in your area.
Time to make Pie
That being the case, your best option is to make your own. And, we are here to help. Don’t worry, it looks more complicated than it is. All we need is a pie crust (And, you can even buy that, already made), a lemon custard, and whipped egg whites with sugar. The difficulty factor occurs in not over doing things: not too much sugar (or too little), don’t overcook, and don’t over whip the egg whites. Some could even say: it’s as easy as pie. But, please, don’t say that. It’s kinda annoying. And, definitely don’t sing or play the song. That’s really annoying (and kind of creepy).
Besides, pie isn’t all that easy. It’s not one pot cooking. First you have to make a pie dough, roll it, put it in a pan, fork it, then par bake it. Next you need to make the filling, which involves boiling ingredients, whisking in with egg yolks, cooking until the right consistency, then filling the pie shell. Then, you need to whip egg whites to the right consistency, pipe them onto the pie, then bake until cooked. Then, you have to wait for it to cool enough to cut it. This is an hours long process with multiple steps. Compared to some cooking and baking, this is relatively easy. But, relative is the operative term here. May as well go back to where we started with math and Pi day.
But, don’t panic, each step is easy. And, your tastebuds will thank you. There’s nothing like homemade pie.
When Life gives you lemons…here’s a recipe
Don’t you wish all things in life came with an instruction manual? Well here’s our instruction on making your pie:
We wanted to put a slight spin, so, we garnish with lemon zest in limoncello syrup.
Bon Apetit!
Limoncello scented Lemon Meringue Pie
Ingredients
- Pie crust (recipe to follow)
- For Filling:
- 1 Cup Water
- 5 Large Egg Yolks (you will use the egg whites for the meringue later)
- 1 1/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1/3 Cup Cornstarch
- 3/4 Cup Lemon Juice
- 3 Tbsp Lemon Zest
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 3 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
- For Meringue:
- 5 Large Egg Whites
- 1/2 tsp Cream of tartar
- 1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1/8 tsp Salt
- For the Limoncello Garnish:
- 1 Cup Limocello
- 1/2 Cup Water
- 1/4 Cup Sugar
- The zest of 2 lemons, peeled off with a channel knofe into long strips
Instructions
- Par-bake the pie crust: Roll out the dough and fit into a 9 inch pie pan. Poke the bottom lightly with a fork. Then spray with pan spray and line the inside of the dough with foil, place dry beans or rice in the foil to weigh the crust down, so it will stay in place and maintain its shape. Bake at 375, until the crust is lightly browned (about 15 minutes). Remove the foil and beans. You can Work on the filling and meringue while this is baking. When done, reduce temperature to 350.
- Make the Limoncello Garnish: Boil the limoncello, water, sugar and zest until it becomes a syrup and the zest becomes limp and almost translucent. Set aside to cool.
- Make the Filling: Mix the corn starch with a little water to make a slurry. Whisk together the sugar, water, juice, salt, and lemon zest in a pot. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks in a mixing bowl. Slowly drizzle the hot liquid into the egg yolks while whisking until both are the same temperature, transfer it back into the pot and return to the stove. Stir continuously until it begins to thicken. Whisk in the cornstarch and allow the mixture to thicken. Be careful not to overcook the eggs or they will become scrambled. When thick, transfer to the pie crust and smooth out.
- Make the meringue: In a stand mixer with a whip attachment, whip the egg whites and cream of tartar until frothy. Add in the sugar and salt. Continue whipping until stiff peaks appear. Do not over-whip or it will break down. You can either spread the meringue with a rubber spatula or pipe on top with a pastry bag and tip.
- Bake the pie for 20 to 25 minutes. The top should have a golden brown hue. You can tent it with foil if it gets too dark too quick. Remove from the oven. Let it rest for about an hour. Refrigerate for about 3 to 4 hours so it has time to set up solidly enough to cut. Drizzle with the limoncello syrup and drape the zest from the limoncello evenly over the top of the pie or garnish as you are serving.
Notes
Flaky Pie Dough
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 Cups Flour
- 1 Cup Unsalted Butter
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 Cup Ice Water
Instructions
- Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Chop the cold butter into pea sized pieces. Chop the butter into the flour and mix until it becomes like coarse meal. Add water about a tablespoon at a time, and mix well until a dough appears. You don't want to make it too wet. Once it is firm, but, not tacky, form two balls. Roll each in flour, cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours until you are ready to use it. The dough can hold for days. You can even freeze it. A handy trick is to roll it out, put it in a pie tine, and freeze the extra so you have a pie crust ready to go, next time you want to make a pie. It will save a lot of time.