The Ultimate Lemon Meringue Pie

Total Time: 1 hr 40 mins Preparation Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 55 mins

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces and frozen
• 4 tablespoons vegetable shortening, frozen
• 3 -5 tablespoons ice water, as needed
• 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 6 large egg yolks
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1/2 cup lemon juice (fresh from 2 - 3 lemons)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 4 large egg whites
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Recipe

• 1 make pie shell: mix flour, sugar and salt in a food processor, by pulsing a few times.
• 2 scatter the frozen butter pieces over flour mixture.
• 3 pulse in 1-second pulses about 5 times to mix in butter.
• 4 add frozen shortening; pulsing in 1-second pulses until mixture resembles cornmeal with pieces about the size of peas.
• 5 slowly add ice water through the processor feed tube, with motor running, one tbsp at a time.
• 6 when dough forms a ball, stop processing.
• 7 it should take about 2 or 3 tbsp of ice water to reach this stage.
• 8 shape dough into a ball in your flour coated hands, and then flatten into a 4 inch wide disk.
• 9 flour disk and wrap in plastic.
• 10 refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
• 11 generously coat your work surface or pastry sheet with a little flour and about 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs.
• 12 place dough on floured surface, coat with some flour and graham cracker crumbs, and roll into a 9-inch disk.
• 13 lift, coat surface with more graham and flour, turn dough, add more graham and flour on top, and roll out to a 13 inch disk.
• 14 place into a 9 inch pie pan, and finish edges.
• 15 refrigerate crust until firm, about 30 minutes.
• 16 prick dough with a fork to prevent bubbling up in the oven.
• 17 while the oven is pre-heating to 375, put pie crust in freezer.
• 18 bake at 375 for 20- 25 minutes, checking occasionally to make sure it's browning evenly and not bubbling up.
• 19 lemon filling: whisk sugar, cornstarch, and salt together in a large, nonreactive saucepan.
• 20 add egg yolks, then immediately but gradually whisk in 1 1/2 cups water.
• 21 bring mixture to a simmer over medium heat, whisking regularly, 8- 10 minutes, until thickened.
• 22 remove from heat, whisk in zest, then juice, and finally butter.
• 23 keep warm until meringue is made.
• 24 meringue topping: mix cornstarch and 1/3 cup water in a small saucepan.
• 25 bring to a simmer, whisking occasionally until thickened.
• 26 remove from heat when translucent and thickened.
• 27 preheat oven to 325.
• 28 in a large mixing bowl, mix cream of tartar and sugar together.
• 29 beat egg whites with whip attachment of mixer until frothy. add vanilla.
• 30 beat in sugar mixture, 1 tbsp at a time.
• 31 then drop in cornstarch mixture, 1 tbsp at a time until stiff peaks form.
• 32 pour warm lemon filling into pie crust.
• 33 distribute meringue evenly over the top, starting with the edges, and then the middle.
• 34 make sure it attaches to the crust.
• 35 lifting with the back of the spoon, create peaks in the meringue.
• 36 bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.
• 37 cool completely before serving.