This homemade lemon meringue pie recipe might just be the perfect dessert. With a sweet & tangy filling, a flaky pie crust, and a fluffy meringue, it's no wonder lemon pie is such a favorite!
Crack egg into measuring cup; add vinegar and then enough water to make 1/2 cup, more or less. Use a fork to whisk the egg mixture together.
1 medium egg, 1 teaspoon vinegar, Water
Pour about half of the egg mixture into the dry ingredients. Mix with the fork, gently gathering the dough from the outside of the bowl. Add the rest of the liquid as necessary to bring the ingredients together just until it forms a loose ball of dough. Do not over mix.
As soon as the dough comes together, turn it out onto a floured surface. Use your hands to carefully press the dough together---you're not kneading here, just binding the ingredients together in a solid mass.
Roll the dough out on a liberally floured surface. Fold the dough in half for easy lifting, then move into a pie pan.
Tuck the dough edges under and then crimp all around.
Use a fork to prick the dough on the bottom all over. This prevents the pie crust from forming air bubbles when it bakes.
Refrigerate pie crust for several hours or overnight if time allows.
Bake for 15-20 minutes at 400ºF or until golden brown. Let the crust cool to room temperature.
(You can use pie weights or uncooked beans to weight the crust down, but honestly, I’ve never bothered. If you do, remove them halfway through the baking time to allow the crust to brown.)
For the filling:
Whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan. Stir in the lemon juice and water.
1 cup sugar, 5 tablespoons cornstarch, 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1 1/2 cups water, 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
Whisk the egg yolks in a separate medium bowl. Set aside.
4 large egg yolks
Cook sugar mixture over medium heat, whisking until the mixture begins to bubble and becomes extremely thick.
Slowly add half of the hot mixture to the egg yolks whisking constantly. This tempers the eggs, heating them without cooking them. Now add the tempered yolks to the remaining mixture in the saucepan. Return to the heat, bringing the mixture back to a simmer. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
Remove from the heat. Stir in butter, lemon zest, and ginger juice until completely incorporated. Pour the filling into the pie crust. Refrigerate while you make the meringue.
Beat egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk or an electric mixer set on medium speed until frothy.
5 large egg whites
Add cream of tartar, salt, and vanilla and beat until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until sugar is dissolved and stiff, glossy peaks form.
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar, 3/4 cup sugar, pinch sea salt, 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Transfer the meringue to the top of the filled pie. Make sure the meringue completely covers the filling, meeting the crust all the way around. This helps prevent weeping. Create swirls and peaks in the meringue.
Place pie under the broiler of your oven for 1 to 2 minutes until golden brown. Keep a close eye on the pie to prevent burning. And for the love of everything, set a timer so you don’t forget.
Refrigerate the pie until the filling is completely cool and set, about 4 hours.
Serving the pie
Transfer pie by the slice to dessert plates. Garnish with candied ginger pieces.
1 tablespoon crystallized ginger
Notes
Note: To make ginger juice, finely grate ginger and transfer to a small sieve. Press the ginger firmly, capturing the juice in a small container.