Lemon Meringue Pie

Lemon Meringue Pie is my favorite kind of pie hands down. The tricky part is that I'd say 90%+ of lemon meringue pies out there are no good. I have made it a goal of mine to make lemon meringue pie every Thanksgiving until I perfect it. This was the third year in a row and it was pretty darn close. The filling didn't set up as much as I would have liked, but the flavor and texture were divine. I like this recipe because, unlike other recipes I have tried, the filling and meringue are prepared at separate times. Other recipes require you to spread the perfectly fluffy meringue over a piping hot filling and the timing never quite worked out for me. This one uses a method of a hot syrup to cook the meringue so the filling does not have to be hot to cook the meringue. When I saw this on my favorite show, America's Test Kitchen, I knew I had to try it and I'm so glad I did!

Lemon Meringue Pie
Once again I am simply going to give you the link to the recipe for simplicity's sake. (You will need to log into the site to view the recipe, but it's a really simply registration process and they don't bombard you with annoying email and who knows, you might find another recipe you like on there.) Down below I will have step by step pictures with a few pointers.

This is what it looks like when it coats the back of a spoon. You should be able to run your finger through it and leave a line.

Make sure your filling is spread out evenly and press the plastic wrap down to the surface of the filling before chilling. This will prevent a nasty film from forming on top.

Can you believe that started as 4 measly egg whites at the bottom of the big bowl? Keep beating. Glossy, stiff peaks look something like this. When you pull the beaters out peaks should form and keep their shape.

Make sure your meringue goes all the way to the edge so it won't shrink up as it bakes. You can make as few or many peaks as you want on top. I think with this one the messier it looks, the prettier it is!

Watch it carefully as it bakes, you don't want your meringue too toasty. Wait until it just starts to get golden and beautiful! Be sure to keep this chilled until you are ready to eat it! I would say chill at least 1 hour but no longer than 12. Enjoy!