It’s the last Friday of the month which means it’s the last night of Pops Montfort’s family dinner out on the Isle of Grace. And nothing says the end of summer like sparklers and a Lemon Meringue Pie!
Pops Montfort ~ “The sun has set and my son Philip has found fireworks in a dresser in his old bedroom. While my son Rafe sets off the larger rockets, Philip and my daughter-in-law Juliet fling sparklers at each other—like they used to do when they were kids. While they play with the fireworks, I bring out the hot coffee and the dessert I know everyone loves: Lemon Meringue Pie.
When Juliet gets tired of playing with Philip, she grabs the blanket and lays it on the ground. I bring over two plates of pie and we eat and watch my sons fire Roman candles at each other. Juliet is a bit concerned, but I’ve raised boys and know that even if I wanted to stop them, they’d ignore me. Besides, they’re adults. They know if they get hurt they’ll have to drive themselves to the ER.
When they’re done with the fireworks, Rafe throws himself down next to Juliet and Philip brings over the rest of the pie. As we laugh over past fireworks escapades (seriously, the Isle of Grace is so isolated no one cares), the boys finish off the pie before Juliet gets the second piece I’ve promised her. Luckily, I’ve made two pies and send Rafe inside to get it. Philip goes with him which leaves me alone with Juliet to watch the stars.
There’s so much I want to say to her, to thank her for loving my son, but I’m no good with words. Then Juliet grabs my hand and squeezes and I know that she knows how I feel. And I don’t have to say anything.
My sons return and we finish the pie and spend the rest of the night watching the stars. I can’t imagine a more perfect way to end such a wonderful evening.”
Lemon Meringue Pie
Ingredients
- 1 pie crust for 9" deep dish pie plate
- 5 large egg yolks use the whites in the meringue below
- 1 1/3 cups water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter softened
Meringue
- 5 large egg whites room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
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Make or buy a pie crust for a 9" deep dish pie plate. Preheat the oven to 375℉.
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Par-bake the pie crust. Adjust the oven's rack to the lower half of the oven. Line the pastry in the pie plate with parchment paper and add pie weights. Bake the pie for 15 minutes. Remove the pie from the oven and rest on a baking rack. Wait for 10 minutes before removing the weights and the parchment paper.
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Reduce the oven's temp to 350℉.
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In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Set aside. Then, in a saucepan, whisk together the water, sugar, cornstarch, salt, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Heat the mixture over medium heat and stir until it begins to thicken and bubble. About six minutes in, it will begin to thicken. Whisk it a few more times and reduce the heat to low.
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Slowly (because you don't want to cook the eggs), stream spoonfuls of the hot lemon mixture into the beaten egg yolks. Then, again in a very slow stream, whisk this mixture back into the pan. Cook and stir until the filing is thick and bubbles burst at the surface. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the butter.
Spread the filling int the partially baked pie crust. Set aside while you prep the meringue. But don't let it cool too quickly–make the meringue fast so you can top the pie and allow the two layers to seal.
Meringue
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With a super clean and chilled mixing bowl and beaters, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar together. Use a medium speed for 1 minute. Increase the speed to high and beat until soft peaks form. Slowly add the sugar and salt and keep beating on high until glossy peaks form. Spread the meringue on top of the pie and spread it to the edges of the crust.
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Bake the pie on the lowest rack for 20-25 minutes. Tent the meringue if it begins to brown too quickly. Remove the pie and cool on a wire rack. Cool for at least 1 hour before chilling the refrigerator. Chill for 4 hours before serving.
