LEMON MERINGUE PIE
Ingredients:
Crust:
1-1/4 cup unbleached white flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup vegetable shortening
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled
1/2 tablespoon cider vinegar
2-3 tablespoons cold water
Lemon custard:
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cornstarch mixed with 1/2 cup water
4 large eggs, separated
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon lemon extract (from oil of lemon)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Meringue:
4 large egg whites
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
Crust: Blend together the flour and salt. Cut in the shortening and butter until the mixture is the texture of coarse sand. Sprinkle on the vinegar and cold water. Process, mix, or smear the wet ingredients together to make a rough dough. Flatten into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Roll out the dough one inch larger than an 8" Pyrex pie plate. Lift and press into the dish without stretching the dough. Crimp the edges. Cover with wax paper and place in the freezer for 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Weight the crust by placing beans or rice on the wax paper. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the wax paper with the weight. Bake another 10 minutes, or until the crust is golden. Place on a rack to cool.
Lemon custard: Add sugar and salt to the water in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Stir in the cornstarch slurry, whisking constantly, until the mixture boils. Cook for 2 more minutes stirring continuously. Whisk the lemon juice and egg yolks together. Stir in some of the hot custard before stirring the lemon mixture into the saucepan. Cook and stir just until the custard comes to the boil. Off the heat stir in the butter and the lemon extract. Let the custard cool to room temperature.
Meringue: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Beat the whites in an absolutely clean bowl until foamy. Add the salt and the sugar, one tablespoon, at a time while beating the whites to firm peaks. Fold 1/2 cup meringue into the lemon custard and pour the custard into the baked pie shell. Spread the remaining meringue over the custard making sure to seal the edges to the crust.
Bake for 15 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool on a rack. For best results when cutting into wedges, refrigerate the pie for at least an hour before serving.
