Saturday, March 12, 2011

Lemon Meringue Pie



When big sister got her very first library card and our new local library, she checked out Amelia Bedelia.  I was wondering if she would get the humor or not but with a little help and explanation, she was laughing and enjoying the jokes.  I had forgotten how funny the first one was.  Not all books in the series are as good (and I prefer the original illustration to the later books where the illustrator was changed) but this is a classic.  

After a few reads, big sister asked if we could make a lemon meringue pie.  She had me read the pages where Amelia Bedelia makes it a few times for the directions but I needed a better recipe than good ol' Peggy Parish provides (a little of this, a pinch of that, and mix it all together). Big sis put some muscle into juicing the lemons and liked to lick the rinds after she was done juicing.



The process was true to the Amelia Bedelia books . . . I cooked the yolks when trying to temper them although I've tempered eggs successfully dozens of times before!  


Yuck!
My first pie crust (premade TJs) totally flopped.  So, 8 yolks and 2 crusts later, we had a pie.  It got good reviews at family dinner!

Lemon Meringue Pie (makes one 9 inch pie)

Filling:
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1/4 c. 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

Meringue:
4 egg whites
  • 6 tablespoons white sugar

  • 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.


6 comments:

  1. When is your Julia Child Jr gonna come out with her 1st cookbook?

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  2. Bec, I have to tell you a story of our own with those books. I checked out the Amelia Bedelia book in which Amelia is a child going to school for the first time and getting mixed up in all the new experiences. A number of days later, I walked into our office and found Chloe spreading glue stick gunk all over our computer chair. I asked her, "What were you thinking" (I know, 4 1/2 year olds don't generally think ahead, but I asked it anyway). Her answer: "Well, Amelia Bedelia did it." And yes, she had. Would you believe Elaine gave that book to Chloe for Christmas!!
    Glad your pie turned out!
    Carol

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  3. Looks spectacular!!! If you need another recipe, I love Shirley Corriher's from Cookwise. Yeah, there's no downtime on that one, but the results are memorable--

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  4. @CP - as soon as she can write . . . that should keep her busy for awhile!
    @ Carol - great story! I'll have to think about which ones she reads and maybe explaining that we don't do everything she did!
    @ Desiree - I have Cookwise - I'll have to give that one a try next.

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  5. I'll never bake a pie, but sit on the sidelines admiring the work of the famous sous chef. Looks like great fun (and your photos are always wonderful, by the way). As a fan of children's books, will check this one out. (Yeah, I can read, too.)

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