Dad’s Lemon Meringue Pie
The peaks of the meringue turn a tantalizing golden brown in the oven — perfect for plucking off the pie by sneaky fingers. Beware of peak thieves!
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1/3 cup butter, melted
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 15 ounces sweetened condensed milk (lowfat or nonfat is fine)
- 2 eggs, yolks separated from whites
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 4 tablespoons sugar
- Preheat the ovenPreheat the oven to 325°F.
- Prepare the crustPour the graham cracker crumbs into a medium bowl and add the melted butter. Stir the mixture with a fork until it is evenly mixed.
- Add the crust to the panPress the crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of a pie pan to form the crust. Alternately, you can use four 4-inch tart pans. Chill the crust in the freezer while you make the filling.
- Make the filling
In a medium bowl, combine the lemon juice and zest; gradually whisk in the sweetened condensed milk.
Separate the eggs, putting the whites into the large bowl of an electric mixer. Add the yolks to the sweetened condensed milk mixture and stir it well. Pour the mixture into the chilled crust.
- Make the meringue
Add the cream of tartar to the egg whites in the mixer bowl, and beat them on high speed until stiff peaks form. Add the sugar gradually, and beat the meringue until it is stiff and glossy.
- Finish the piePile the meringue onto the center of the pie. With a table knife, lightly and carefully spread the meringue to the edges of the crust, using outward strokes. Make sure the whole pie is covered. Ideally, it should form a “seal” with the edge of the pie plate.
- Make it pretty and bake it
With the flat of the knife, pull up little peaks in the meringue. Bake the pie for 15 minutes, until the peaks are light golden brown.
Let the pie cool completely before you serve it.