Lemon Meringue Pie

Sadly I cannot take credit for this recipe. It's one I've had for several years now and one that I always get requests for. I found the recipe here on allrecipes.com, but I've added it below for convenience. It is the best lemon meringue pie I've ever had. The filling is tart and creamy with just the right amount of sweetness and the meringue is the soft spongy kind that I prefer on pies. Now if I could just find the perfect pastry recipe this would be the perfect pie. I usually just use store-bought shortcrust pastry but I'm sure home-made would be even better.

Lemon Meringue Pie

Ingredients

1 cup white sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups water

2 lemons, juiced and zested

2 tablespoons butter

4 egg yolks, beaten

1 (9 inch) pie crust, baked

4 egg whites

6 tablespoons white sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

To Make Lemon Filling: In a medium saucepan, whisk together 1 cup sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt. Stir in water, lemon juice and lemon zest. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until mixture comes to a boil. Stir in butter. Place egg yolks in a small bowl and gradually whisk in 1/2 cup of hot sugar mixture. Whisk egg yolk mixture back into remaining sugar mixture. Bring to a boil and continue to cook while stirring constantly until thick. Remove from heat. Pour filling into baked pastry shell.

To Make Meringue: In a large glass or metal bowl, whip egg whites until foamy. Add sugar gradually, and continue to whip until stiff peaks form. Spread meringue over pie, sealing the edges at the crust.

Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until meringue is golden brown.