Classic Lemon Meringue Pie
 
Makes 1 (9-inch) pie
Ingredients
  • Pie Dough (recipe follows)
  • 1¼ cups sugar
  • ¼ cup cornstarch
  • 5 egg yolks, room temperature
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • ⅔ cup fresh lemon juice
  • ⅓ cup water
  • 1 tablespoon packed lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened and cubed
  • Swiss Meringue (recipe follows)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 425°.
  2. Lightly dust work surface with flour. Roll Pie Dough out to a 12-inch circle (about ⅛ inch thick), rotating as needed to prevent sticking. Gently transfer to a 9-inch deep-dish metal pie plate, and trim excess to ½ inch over edges of pie plate. Fold excess under, and crimp as desired. Dock bottom of crust with a fork, and freeze until firm, at least 15 minutes.
  3. Cut a square of parchment large enough to cover bottom and sides of pie, and press into bottom of dough. Fill with pie weights, and bake until edges are golden brown, 15 to 17 minutes. Remove pie weights and parchment, and continue baking until bottom of crust is dry and golden, 5 to 7 minutes more. Let cool completely before filling.
  4. In a medium saucepan, whisk together sugar and cornstarch. Add egg yolks and egg, and whisk vigorously to combine. Whisk in lemon juice, ⅓ cup water, lemon zest, and salt until completely combined and no clumps remain.
  5. Bring lemon mixture to a gentle boil over medium-low heat, whisking frequently. Boil, whisking constantly, until mixture is thick and slightly translucent, 2 to 3 minutes.
  6. Remove from heat. Add butter, and mix until butter is completely incorporated.
  7. Pour filling into cooled piecrust. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing wrap directly onto surface of filling to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until completely cooled, at least 1 hour.
  8. Top cooled filling with Swiss Meringue as desired. Using a handheld kitchen torch, carefully brown meringue as desired. Best served same day.
Recipe by Taste of the South at https://tasteofthesouthmagazine.com/classic-lemon-meringue-pie/