pie. peach pie. pecan pie. any kind of berry pie. steak and kidney pie. shepherd’s pie. quiche! it’s a three letter word with a lot of versatility. a little crust. some filling. add heat and voilà! sustenance in a pie tin.
in the u.s., we’ve got an active pie culture. you certainly see more of it in the south. then, of course, there’s the state fairs in the mid-west and the pie contests that pepper each one.
it may be because, in warmer climates, they have a longer growing season. but in new england in which the growing season is almost over before it begins, you don’t hear too many people hanging around the neighborhood asking if you want to come in for some pie. in fact, pie in this area is mainly associated with holidays: pumpkin pie for thanksgiving; mince meat pie for christmas.
to tell you the truth, i’m not much of a pie person. i don’t think about it when i am looking for a tasty treat. i’ll eat it if it’s there but i don’t seek out pie as a suitable end to a meal.
however, i had some pie just this past weekend. we had some friends over for dinner before we took the kids out to see the fireworks. they brought a berry pie. the crust was flaky, yet moist. the berries, along with some rhubarb i believe, were succulent and ripe. the top crust was a cut out of the nation’s flag (cute, huh?). i surprised myself by wanting to lick the plate.
it made me think of one pie that brings back memories: lemon meringue. my father’s mother made this pie. it was, frankly, the only thing she did really, really well. (she was not much of a cook. she boiled anything and everything beyond recognition into a nutritionless heap.) i would love to tell you that i have that fabulous recipe handed down from generation to generation in faded handwriting with dog-eared corners. but i don’t.
instead, to find the perfect lemon meringue pie, i searched online for a simple recipe. many of them called for added ingredients like ginger or a pecan crust. no, no, no. that’s all wrong. i just want a simple, straight-forward recipe. no frills, just the basics. there are some things you can’t improve on. sometimes, the original is always the best.
i found this recipe on epicurious.com (everyone’s online cookbook). i’m going to try it and see what happens. perhaps this will be my new quest: the perfect lemon meringue pie.
lemon meringue pie
makes 8 servings
pie
pastry dough
5 large egg yolks
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups water
1/4 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
meringue
5 large egg whites, at room temperature 30 minutes
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 superfine granulated sugar
pie shell
preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle.
roll out dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 13-inch round, then fit into a 9-inch pie plate (4-cup capacity). trim edge, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang, then crimp decoratively. lightly prick shell all over with a fork, then chill 30 minutes.
line shell with foil and fill with pie weights or raw rice. bake until side is set and edge is pale golden, about 20 minutes.
carefully remove weights and foil and bake shell until bottom and side are golden, about 20 minutes more. Remove from oven and reduce temperature to 350°F.
filling
whisk together yolks in a small bowl.
whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a heavy medium saucepan. gradually add water and milk, whisking until smooth. bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking frequently as mixture begins to thicken. remove from heat and gradually whisk about 1 cup milk mixture into yolks, then whisk yolk mixture into remaining milk mixture. add lemon zest and juice and simmer, whisking constantly, 3 minutes. remove from heat and whisk in butter until incorporated. cover surface with wax paper to keep hot.
meringue
beat whites with cream of tartar and salt using an electric mixer at medium speed until they hold soft peaks.
increase speed to high and add superfine sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until meringue just holds stiff, glossy peaks.
assemble and bake pie
pour hot filling into warm pie shell and gently shake to smooth top.
spread meringue decoratively over hot filling, covering filling completely.
immediately bake until meringue is golden-brown, about 15 minutes.
cool completely on a rack, 2 to 3 hours. cut with a serrated knife dipped in cold water.
cooks' notes
• it is the nature of meringue pies to "weep" liquid after cooling.
• pie shell can be baked 1 day ahead and cooled completely, then kept, loosely covered, at room temperature.
• lemon meringue pie is best the day it is made but keeps, covered and chilled, 2 days.
in the u.s., we’ve got an active pie culture. you certainly see more of it in the south. then, of course, there’s the state fairs in the mid-west and the pie contests that pepper each one.
it may be because, in warmer climates, they have a longer growing season. but in new england in which the growing season is almost over before it begins, you don’t hear too many people hanging around the neighborhood asking if you want to come in for some pie. in fact, pie in this area is mainly associated with holidays: pumpkin pie for thanksgiving; mince meat pie for christmas.
to tell you the truth, i’m not much of a pie person. i don’t think about it when i am looking for a tasty treat. i’ll eat it if it’s there but i don’t seek out pie as a suitable end to a meal.
however, i had some pie just this past weekend. we had some friends over for dinner before we took the kids out to see the fireworks. they brought a berry pie. the crust was flaky, yet moist. the berries, along with some rhubarb i believe, were succulent and ripe. the top crust was a cut out of the nation’s flag (cute, huh?). i surprised myself by wanting to lick the plate.
it made me think of one pie that brings back memories: lemon meringue. my father’s mother made this pie. it was, frankly, the only thing she did really, really well. (she was not much of a cook. she boiled anything and everything beyond recognition into a nutritionless heap.) i would love to tell you that i have that fabulous recipe handed down from generation to generation in faded handwriting with dog-eared corners. but i don’t.
instead, to find the perfect lemon meringue pie, i searched online for a simple recipe. many of them called for added ingredients like ginger or a pecan crust. no, no, no. that’s all wrong. i just want a simple, straight-forward recipe. no frills, just the basics. there are some things you can’t improve on. sometimes, the original is always the best.
i found this recipe on epicurious.com (everyone’s online cookbook). i’m going to try it and see what happens. perhaps this will be my new quest: the perfect lemon meringue pie.
lemon meringue pie
makes 8 servings
pie
pastry dough
5 large egg yolks
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups water
1/4 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
meringue
5 large egg whites, at room temperature 30 minutes
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 superfine granulated sugar
pie shell
preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle.
roll out dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 13-inch round, then fit into a 9-inch pie plate (4-cup capacity). trim edge, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang, then crimp decoratively. lightly prick shell all over with a fork, then chill 30 minutes.
line shell with foil and fill with pie weights or raw rice. bake until side is set and edge is pale golden, about 20 minutes.
carefully remove weights and foil and bake shell until bottom and side are golden, about 20 minutes more. Remove from oven and reduce temperature to 350°F.
filling
whisk together yolks in a small bowl.
whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a heavy medium saucepan. gradually add water and milk, whisking until smooth. bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking frequently as mixture begins to thicken. remove from heat and gradually whisk about 1 cup milk mixture into yolks, then whisk yolk mixture into remaining milk mixture. add lemon zest and juice and simmer, whisking constantly, 3 minutes. remove from heat and whisk in butter until incorporated. cover surface with wax paper to keep hot.
meringue
beat whites with cream of tartar and salt using an electric mixer at medium speed until they hold soft peaks.
increase speed to high and add superfine sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until meringue just holds stiff, glossy peaks.
assemble and bake pie
pour hot filling into warm pie shell and gently shake to smooth top.
spread meringue decoratively over hot filling, covering filling completely.
immediately bake until meringue is golden-brown, about 15 minutes.
cool completely on a rack, 2 to 3 hours. cut with a serrated knife dipped in cold water.
cooks' notes
• it is the nature of meringue pies to "weep" liquid after cooling.
• pie shell can be baked 1 day ahead and cooled completely, then kept, loosely covered, at room temperature.
• lemon meringue pie is best the day it is made but keeps, covered and chilled, 2 days.
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