Lemon Meringue Pie

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2003

Show: Good EatsEpisode: I Pie

Rated: 4 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (173)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(173)

Cook Time:
12 min
Level:
Intermediate
Yield:
6 to 8 servings

Times:

Prep: 30 min
Inactive Prep: 2 hr 0 min
Cook: 12 min
Total:: 2 hr 42 min

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Ingredients

Lemon Filling:

4 egg yolks (reserve whites for meringue)
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
1 (9-inch) pre-baked pie shell
1 recipe Meringue, recipe follows

Directions

Adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Whisk egg yolks in medium size mixing bowl and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine cornstarch, water, sugar, and salt. Whisk to combine. Turn heat on medium and, stirring frequently, bring mixture to a boil. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and gradually, 1 whisk-full at a time, add hot mixture to egg yolks and stir until you have added at least half of the mixture.

Return egg mixture to saucepan, turn heat down to low and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 more minute. Remove from heat and gently stir in butter, lemon juice, and zest until well combined. Pour mixture into pie shell and top with meringue while filling is still hot. Make sure meringue completely covers filling and that it goes right up to the edge of the crust. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until meringue is golden. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Make sure pie is cooled completely before slicing.

Meringue Topping:

4 egg whites
1 pinch cream of tartar
2 tablespoons sugar

Place egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form and then gradually add sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form, approximately 1 to 2 minutes. Use to top lemon filling.

Yield: topping for 1 (9-inch) pie

Photo: Lemon Meringue Pie

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Lemon Meringue Pie
null null, null 11-14-2009
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Perfect Pie No Modifications Needed
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I have tried several recipes for this type of pie. I have had some that are mediocre at best. This was fast, simple, and... turned out perfectly. It was easy and fun to make. Perfect meringue, and the pudding was wonderful too. Many people don't know how to cook with cornstarch, so, they don't understand the concept of stirring constantly. Read more
recipe Lemon Meringue Pie
Jessica Warner Robins, GA 11-10-2009
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When life gives you lemons...
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

...make this pie! I've made a lemon meringue pie before, but it came out a big soupy mess. This time, however, I followed the... recipe (AND the comments about returning the saucepan to a boil for two minutes after adding the lemon ingredients), and it came out PERFECT. The meringue was fluffy and tasty, and the lemon part was delightfully zesty. Can't wait to make it again. (I would've given this recipe five stars, but the fact that it's lacking a vital directions is a shame.) Read more
recipe Lemon Meringue Pie
Rachel Carmel, NY 11-07-2009
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this recipe has never failed me
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I had never made lemon meringue pie before, in fact I had never made any pie before, this recipe. It came out phenomenal. Not... too bitter, or too sweet, and the meringue was fluffy and didn't fall off the custard. Reading all these comments about soupy custard gives me the impression that the custard was not cooked long enough for the starches to properly form and bond. That means there was still a lot of water. Watch the episode, it's on youtube, and everything is explained in great detail. If you follow all of his instructions, you really can't mess up.Read more
recipe Lemon Meringue Pie
DEBBIE Washington, DC 10-07-2009
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soupy mess too
Rated: 2 stars out of 5

I followed this recipe exactly as it instructed and just couldn't figure out why it was a liquid mess after it cooled. I had... the same problems as the other cooks who found that the pie didn't set the way it was supposed to. It did have a delicious lemon flavor, but it looked nothing like what it should be. Read more
recipe Lemon Meringue Pie
Laura Stafford, VA 10-05-2009
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Soupy Mess
Rated: 2 stars out of 5

I did not read the reviews first, although I wish I would have now...I was really craving a lemon meringue pie. This has a... good flavor but is a soupy mess. Getting it out of the office was a disaster area. Someone from Food Network should run this receipe and figure out the error and repost it.Read more
recipe Lemon Meringue Pie
Jackie East Troy, WI 09-27-2009
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Don't waste your time or money with this recipe
Rated: 2 stars out of 5

I read the reviews and followed the recipe, and I did continue to boil the custard filling for about 2 mins. I poured the... filling into the pie crust and I thought this pie is going to be delicious, the filling looked great and had a great consistency. I put the meringue on top, baked the pie, let it cool, put it in the frig over nite. I made my husband his birthday dinner, brought out the two pies I made the day before ( one being a banana cream, which by the way turned out awsome) when I sliced the lemon pie I was so disappointed, it was a runny mess. I, like the others thought the flavor was great, but will not be making this one again. I have been cooking for 30 years and most of the time my dishes turn out great, this is one recipe that will have to retire to the trash can. My husband said it tasted good, but it was his birthday what else was he going to say. Read more