Good morning, class.
What holiday do we celebrate on March 14th? (Puzzled looks. Furled brows.)
A hint? What might hungry mathematicians eat on the 3rd month’s 14th day? (Suddenly a confident hand shoots up.)
Very good! Yes, class, today we celebrate Pi Day to honor pi, the revered mathematical constant of 3.14 and a trillion more digits.
On Pi Day, we make pie, today a classic recipe from America’s south and heartland, a lemon meringue pie that is citrus-sweet and meringue-light. It earns high marks for deliciousness and is perfect for early spring when we yearn for summer like a classroom longs for recess. It’s today’s homework, an A+ pie.
In summer, tuck fresh raspberries or blueberries into the lemon filling. At least with my hand mixer, meringue lofts higher when egg whites are warmed to room temperature before beating. My mother insisted upon removing the chalazae [kuh-LAY-zee], the white cord that centers a yolk inside the white, using serrated tongs. Super-fine sugar melts into meringue so beautifully. Just whiz regular sugar in the food processor until fine. Whisking a small bit of hot liquid into uncooked eggs ensures the eggs won’t instantly turn to cooked lumps once added to the hot mixture.
LEMON MERINGUE PIE
Time-to-table: 1½ - 2 hours
Serves 8
- 1 baked pie shell
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3-1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- 1-1/2 cups water
- 4 egg yolks
- Zest & juice from 2 lemons
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 egg whites (see TIPS)
- 1/4 teaspoon table salt
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice (optional)
- 1/2 cup super-fine sugar (see TIPS)
LEMON FILLING
MERINGUE
Preheat oven to 350F.
FILLING In a medium saucepan, stir together sugar, cornstarch, salt and water. On medium heat, cook until mixture bubbles, stirring often; cook for 3 more minutes, stirring continuously. Turn heat off. Whisk yolks in a bowl, then whisk in a half cup of hot mixture, then whisk combined mixture into saucepan (see TIPS). On medium heat, return mixture to a bubble and cook 3 more minutes, stirring continuously. Turn off heat. Add lemon zest, juice and butter, stir until smooth.
MERINGUE In a clean bowl, beat whites, salt and lemon juice til frothy. While still beating, add sugar in a slow stream. Continue beating until stiff peaks form.
Pour filling into pie shell. With a spoon, arrange meringue around the perimeter, touching but not covering the crust’s edge, then filling the center. Bake for 15–25 minutes until golden brown. Let cool 1-2 hours before serving.
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Thanks for sharing, and happy Pie day!
And thanks for another lemon meringue recipe~ it's one of my favorites~
I do want to make a Lemon Meringue Pie with the meringue on top so that I can try Aunt Hen's "No Weep Meringue." It was one of her favorite recipes to share!
Happy Pi Day!!
-Elizabeth
Thank you for hosting this event, Alanna. Reading about your pie and everyone else's is making me think that perhaps I should gather my courage and give flaky pastry another try.
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Thank you for taking a moment to write! I read each and every comment, for each and every recipe. If you have a specific question, it's nearly always answered quick-quick. But I also love hearing your reactions, your curiosity, even your concerns! When you've made a recipe, I especially love to know how it turned out, what variations you made, what you'll do differently the next time. ~ Alanna