Lemon Pie with Blueberry Meringue
Photo by Liz Andrew
MAKES
One 9 inch / 23 cm pie
TAKES
Prep time: 2 hours (includes chill time)
Cook time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total: 3 hours 15 minutes
✻ ABOUT THIS RECIPE
You know when you bring a dessert to a group of kids and their eyes light up and they get so excited? One of my goals is to make desserts that cause adults to have that same reaction. This pie delivers on every front. The flavors are amazing: tart, smooth lemon curd and sweet, fluffy blueberry meringue, wrapped in a buttery, flaky crust. And that’s without even mentioning how incredibly beautiful this pie is - it’s almost out of a fairytale or cartoon.
INGREDIENTS
One recipe Extra Flaky All Buttah Pie Dough, Par-Baked + cooled completely
Lemon Pie
60 g / 4 large egg yolks
248 g / 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar, divided
37 g / ⅓ cup cornstarch
3 g / ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
113 g / ½ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
43 g / 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Blueberry Meringue
11 g / ½ cup freeze dried blueberries
347 g / 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
213 g / 6 large egg whites
1 g / ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
Never Par-Baked? Never Fear!
METHOD
1. Make the Lemon Pie: Place the par-baked pie crust on a parchment lined baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 375°F / 190°C.
2. Whisk the egg yolks together in a medium bowl. Whisk in 99 g / ½ cup of the sugar.
3. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the cornstarch, salt and remaining sugar. Add 339 g / 1 ½ cups water and begin to heat the mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly. Bring the mixture to a boil; boil for 1 minute.
4. Gradually pour about a third of the cornstarch mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly to combine. Add the yolk mixture to the pot, pouring in a slow, steady stream and whisking constantly.
5. Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it begins to bubble. Once large bubbles appear on the surface, continue to cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
6. Stir in the lemon juice and butter, mixing well to combine. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into the cooled pie crust (this will ensure a lump-free filling) and smooth into an even layer.
7. Bake until the filling is just barely set (it will still look a bit jiggly), 15 to 17 minutes. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate to chill until firm, at least 1 hour.
8. Make the Blueberry Meringue: In a blender or food processor, pulse the blueberries until they form a fine powder (you should end up with about 2 tablespoons blueberry “powder”). Transfer to a medium saucepan and whisk in the sugar. Add 151 g / ⅔ cup water to the saucepan and heat over medium heat.
9. Stir the mixture until it comes to a boil; once it boils, stop stirring. If any sugar crystals have washed up on the side of the saucepan, brush them away using a pastry brush dipped in cool water. Boil the sugar syrup until it reads 230°F / 110°C on a candy thermometer.
10. Meanwhile, place the egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. When the syrup reaches 230°F / 110°C, begin whipping the egg whites on medium-high speed. The goal is to have the egg whites at soft peaks when the sugar reaches 240°F / 116°C.
11. Slowly pour the sugar syrup into the egg whites, then continue to whip until it reaches medium peaks, 4 to 6 more minutes. Spoon the meringue on top of the cooled pie and swoosh with the back of a spoon into an even, centered mound. If desired, you can toast the meringue with a kitchen torch or under the broiler, but it will be a prettier color if it’s left untoasted, and it’s safe to eat because the hot sugar syrup cooks the eggs.
✻ HAVE YOU BAKED IT?
Tag @emcdowell on Instagram or use #happybaking. I’d love to see your bakes!
