Baked by an Introvert
Jen Sobjack
Homemade lemon meringue pie topped with billowy clouds of light, fluffy meringue that's lightly toasted. It's made with fresh lemons for the best sweet, citrus flavor.
Fill the lined shell with pie weights, uncooked rice, or dried beans. You won't be able to cook the rice and beans later but they can be saved and reused for future pies. Make sure the weights are evenly distributed in the shell and some are pressed up the sides.
Bake the crust for 15 minutes, until it starts to turn lightly golden. Carefully remove the pie weights and return the crust to the oven to continue baking for another 15 minutes, until golden brown and matte looking instead of shiny. If the edges of the crust begin to brown too much, cover with an aluminum ring or pie shield.
In a heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, salt, and water. Cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly until the mixture becomes thick and almost clear, about 3-5 minutes.
Remove from heat and pour about ½ cup of the filling into a small bowl. Whisk in the egg yolks to temper them then return the mixture back into the pot and whisk to combine. Return to the heat and cook, stirring constantly until thick and smooth.
Stir in the lemon juice and zest. Remove the filling from the heat and stir in the butter until melted.
Fill the pie crust with the lemon filling.
Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or a handheld electric mixer, whip the eggs whites at medium-high speed until foamy. Slowly add the sugar while continuing to mix until soft peaks form.
Mound the meringue over the filling, creating decorative patterns with the spatula. Be sure to spread the meringue to the edge of the crust so that all of the filling is covered. Bake for 5-8 minutes, until the meringue is browned.