Meyer lemon pie

This is the last piece of the Meyer lemon pie that I made for Sunday dinner.  I'm sorry that I didn't take a photograph when it was brand new just out of the oven to brown that meringue lemon pie.  However, I just ate that piece of pie and it still tastes pretty good.  I am sharing the recipe that I used partly because then it will easily accessible to me no matter where I might be.

I brought the lemons with me from my tree in Arizona.  It is Meyer lemon season.  The Meyers are the orange tinted ones in the foreground.  They are sweeter, thin skinned, and aromatic.  I love them.  The tree with lemons turning from green to yellow just behind the Meyers are Lisbons.  They come on later in the season and are more acidic.  I will love them as well.  Next in line is the Navel orange, just barely starting to turn orange, and last in line, the Clementine tree just full of seed filled goodness.  You just have to take it slow while eating them.  Glen and I planted this little supposedly dwarf citrus orchard in containers several years ago. We have determined that the Lisbon is decidedly not a dwarf but no one has taken up our offer to plant it in a well irrigated spot so it soldiers on in its fake half barrel.  The tree over the gate is our pomegranate tree.  Word from the south that it has turned golden during this cold spell.  Enough about my trees.  Here is the pie recipe.

Meyer Lemon Pie

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 cup corn starch

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 cup freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice (about 3 nice sized lemons)

1/2 cup cold water

5 egg yolks well beaten

2 Tbls. butter

1 1/2 cups boiling water

1 tsp. lemon zest (about 1 lemon zested)

Combine sugar, corn starch, and salt in medium large pan.  Blend in lemon juice, cold water and egg yolks until smooth.  Add the butter and gradually stir in boiling water. (I bring water to boil in heat resistant measuring cup in microwave.)  Bring all to rolling boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, and boil for 2 to 3 minutes.  Stir in lemon zest.

Partially cool while preparing meringue.

Meringue Topping

5 egg whites

1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

1/2 cup sugar

In a clean medium size glass mixing bowl, beat egg whites with hand mixer on high speed.  Slowly add cream of tartar and sugar while continuing to beat mixture.  It will slowly thicken.  It is finished when peaks form on lifting beaters.

Pour partially cooled filling into a prepared 9 inch baked pie crust.  Add meringue to top of pie making sure to smooth meringue all the way to the pie crust edge.  Place in 375 degree oven until meringue is browned.  Watch carefully.  Cool several hours before eating.

I am not good at making pie crust so often use prepared ones from freezer section at grocery store or the rolled circles in the refrigerated cookie dough section of the store.  On Sunday, when I decided to make this pie, I did not have a prepared crust.  I used this recipe.  It wasn't great but it looked good.  I think I needed to combine the butter into the flour mixture more thoroughly.  Here is the recipe but I can't guarantee it.  However, I can make really good rolls.

Butter Pie Crust  (makes one 9 inch single crust)

1 1/4 cups flour

2 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 stick very cold butter (1/2 cup cut in small cubes)

Combine flour, sugar, and salt. (It is important to keep the ingredients cold.  I placed the bowl with dry ingredients in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes.)  Add the cold cubed butter to flour mixture and mix in with a pastry blender by hand until butter is size of small peas.  Fill a measuring cup with 1 cup cold water and ice cubes.  Slowly had about 1/2 cup of the water the the flour mixture mixing in with as little mixing as possible.  Form the dough into a ball and roll into a 12 inch diameter circle on floured counter top.  Fold in half, then fourths, and move to center of pie plate.  Carefully unfold dough evenly in plate and crimp edges.  Bake in 375 degree oven until browned, 15 to 20 minutes.