I had a dinner party on Thursday with a “hurry up summer” themed menu.  BBQ salmon, strawberry and goat cheese spinach salad and… a homemade lemon meringue pie.  I’m not usually a huge fan of lemon meringue pie but I thought that maybe a homemade version would sway my opinion.  I just find that lemon meringue pie from a box tastes more like soap than pie.  This recipe did not disappoint! The fresh lemon was tart, fresh and the perfect kick off to summer BBQ season

Ingredients:

• 9 inch pie crust (baked) – you can use a pre-made crust here to save time

For the filling:

• 1 cup sugar
• 2 Tbsp. all purpose flour
• 3 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 cup lemon juice (fresh is a must)
• 1 Tbsp. lemon zest
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 4 egg yolks (beaten)

For the meringue:

• 4 egg whites
• 6 Tbsp. sugar

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

To make lemon filling:

• In a medium saucepan, whisk together 1 cup sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt. Stir in water, lemon juice and lemon zest.
• Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until mixture comes to a boil. Stir in butter. Place egg yolks in a small bowl and gradually whisk in 1/2 cup of hot sugar mixture.
• Whisk egg yolk mixture back into remaining sugar mixture. Bring to a boil and continue to cook while stirring constantly until thick. Remove from heat. Pour filling into baked pastry shell.

To make meringue:

• In a large glass or metal bowl, whip egg whites until foamy. Add sugar gradually, and continue to whip until stiff peaks form (do not over beat!). Spread meringue over pie, sealing the edges at the crust.

• Bake pie in the preheated oven for approximately 10 minutes, until meringue is browned.

Enjoy!

Source: Recipe adapted from Grandma’s Lemon Meringue Pie from All Recipes