Easy as Meringue Pie

A classic favorite that is so easy to make.
With a couple of everyday ingredients from the kitchen, Lemon Meringue Pie is born.
A bit of butter, lemons, flour, eggs, sugar and voila!
It can also be made with condensed milk, which makes the pie making process quicker.
Though, I find making a lemon curd using sugar, flour and eggs gives the pie that rich and creamy, yet texture, that the Lemon Meringue Pie is all about.
Lets not forget the crust now! The crust is what comes first in a pie, if you have a great filling, but a crappy crust, all goes lost.
The crust is the "cradle" of the pie, the everything of the pie, holds it together and gives it character. So for the perfect Lemon Meringue Pie try this:

INGREDIENTS:

Pie Crust:

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-1/2 tablespoons ice water
1/2 cup Crisco or other good shortening
For a double-crust pie, simply double the above ingredients.

Filling:

1-1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups water
3 egg yolks
zest from 1 medium lemon
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (juice from 1-1/2 medium lemons)
1 tablespoon butter

Meringue:

3 egg whites, at room temperature
6 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

DIRECTIONS:

Pie crust:

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Place the shortening in a bowl. Over it, pour 1 cup of the flour (reserving 1/4 cup flour) and the salt. With your pastry blender (some old timers use a fork), cut the flour and salt into the shortening until mixed.

Mix the 1/4 cup of reserved flour with the 2-1/2 tablespoons (estimate, or, if you must be exact, a half tablespoon equals 1-1/2 teaspoons) in a small cup to make a smooth paste. Pour the paste over the pastry mixture and continue cutting in with the pastry blender until incorporated. Remember, the less you work the dough, the lighter and flakier the pastry.

Form pastry into a ball, flatten and roll between sheets of waxed paper to a thickness of about 1/8 inch and 1 inch wider than pie pan. Peel off top piece of waxed paper (tear off in pieces, if you like), invert pie pan on dough surface, turn over, center dough on pie pan, and peel off second sheet of waxed paper. (If any little tears in the dough result, just pinch it back together.) Trim dough to a 1-inch overhang, then turn under to make an edge. You can put a fancy crimp in the edge, if you wish.

For a pre-baked pie shell, prick bottom and sides of pastry with a fork to avoid bubbles, and bake in a 425°F oven for 10 to 12 minutes until the crust is nicely browned.

Filling:
Preheat oven to 350°F.

Combine the sugar, flour, salt and water in a heavy saucepan. Stir constantly over medium-high heat until mixture boils. Boil, stirring constantly and vigorously, for 1 minute. (A long-handled spoon to stir with really helps here to get you back from the heat.) Remove from heat.

Slightly beat the egg yolks in a bowl with a fork. Mix about one-third of the boiled mixture with the egg yolks; then pour the egg yolk mixture back into the pan with the boiled ingredients, and cook for 1 more minute, stirring constantly and, again, vigorously. Remove from heat, and add the butter.

Add the lemon zest and lemon juice. Stir to mix thoroughly.

Meringue:

Beat the egg whites at high speed with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. With mixer running, add the cream of tartar, then gradually add the sugar, a tablespoon at a time, and beat until stiff peaks form. Beat in the vanilla.

Pile atop pie, and bake at 350°F for 12 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Be sure to seal the meringue to the pastry edge when spreading it on your pie. To minimize "weeping", spread the meringue on the pie filling while the filling is hot. Also, remember that meringue pies cut better with a wet knife blade.

To finish:

Pour into cooled, baked 9-inch pie crust and top with meringue (recipes follow), sealing meringue to edge of pastry. Bake in a 350°F oven 12 to 15 minutes or until nicely browned.