Lemon Meringue Pie

Lately my days have been pretty interesting. Now that I'm done working, I usually wake up, do some errands, work out if I can motivate, and then spend the afternoon making some kind of concoction. Not a bad set-up, right? I recently made a list of all the things I want to make before the summer is over and believe me when I say it is delightfully and deliciously long. Well when it came time to make my afternoon concoction, I closed my eyes, pointed my finger on the list, and it landed on a Lemon Meringue Pie. When I think of Lemon Meringue Pie, I think of an edible heaven. Its got a crunchy crust, a thick luscious lemony filling, and a glossy finish of meringue. Listen to me when I say, this is terrifically tantalizing. Picture eating lemon flavored clouds and then you will have SOME semblance of what this magical wonder tastes like. While I had never made it before, it is beyond easy, and takes more patience then skill. So follow the recipe, whip it up, and sink into bites of silky lemony goodness.

 Lemon Meringue Pie *filling & meringue recipe by Judy Rosenburg, slightly adapted

Ingredients
crust
10 graham crackers, crushed into crumbs
1/2 cup crushed walnuts
3 tbs melted butter

filling
6 tbs cornstarch
1 1/2 cups water
3/4 cup plus 2 tbs sugar
3/4 cup lemon juice
3 large egg yolks
3 tbs unsalted butter
1tbs grated lemon zest

mereingue
6 large egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cream of tartar

Recipe: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. For the crust, combine the crushed walnuts and graham cracker crumbs with the butter until all moistened. Pat into an even layer in a greased 9inch pie pan. Bake for 10 minutes, until golden and crispy. Remove from oven and set to the side.
For the filling: Dissolve the cornstarch in the water in a medium-sized saucepan. Add the sugar and cook the mixture over low heat, whisking constantly until it thickens, about 5 minutes.
Add the lemon juice and egg yolks and simmer, stirring occasionally, so the egg yolks cook, about 5 minutes.
Strain the custard into a medium size bowl and stir in the butter and lemon zest. Let cool for 10 minutes and then pour the custard into the pie crust. Place in the fridge over night or for at least 4-6 hours.
Once the pie is completely chilled, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. For the meringue, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until frothy, about 1 minutes. Add the sugar and cream of tartar and beat on high for about 1 minute and 30 seconds, until the meringue is shiny and holds stiff peaks.
Use a rubber spatula to spread the meringue over the pie and use the back of a spoon to make peaks. Cover the edges of the crust with aluminum foil and bake the pie in the center rack of the oven for about 15 minutes, until the tips and ridges are golden.
Remove pie from oven, let cool to room temperature for 30 minutes, and then refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Serve cold, and use a skinny knife that's been run under warm water to cut.

PS. this is a VERY photogenic dessert, so get ready.

 its just so PRETTY

clouds.

 clouds I'd approve of if the weatherman said they were in the forecast. 
 and it's just SCREAMING for someone to eat it. This is where Saddle and I came in and conquered.

a lil slice of paradise. you're lucky i like to share.

just LOOOOOOVING lemon

xoxo

hungreegirl.