Lemon Meringue Go-Go Pie
When life hands you lemons, put them in the fridge and turn on an episode of This Band Could Be Your Food. Then, after you hear the episode about The Go-Go’s and Lemon Meringue Pie, pull those lemons back out, (along with some eggs), and make a delicious pie! It’s easy, (not that easy, but I believe in you).
Crust Ingredients
One (1) Pillsbury pie crust- (or make your own)
Pie Filling Ingredients
5 room temperature egg yolks, (save whites for your meringue)
4/3 cup of water- (or 1 and 1/3 cup. It’s your choice)
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup of corn or potato starch
1/4 t salt
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice- (about 3 lemons)
1 T lemon zest
Meringue Ingredients
5 egg whites
1/2 t cream of tartar
1/2 c granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
Pre-heat oven to 375°F. Lay your crust inside your pan and fill with your pie weights. We’re going to blind bake your crust before putting the meringue filling in. Your crust will probably shrink a little, so don’t be surprised. You can avoid that by making sure you use a cold crust pastry, and by adding more pieces of crust around the side, (making it bigger). Blind bake crust for 15 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 350°F
Lemon filling recipe
Whisk together all the egg yolks in a side bowl and set aside. Pull out a saucepan and whisk together the water, sugar, starch, lemon juice, lemon zest and salt. Whisk together and turn your heat on to medium. Keep your eyes on it because it will thicken up as it heats. After 5-6 minutes, after it has gotten nice and thick, turn your heat down to low.
Take a spoonful of the hot lemon goo, and pour SLOWLY into the side-bowl of egg yolks, while you are simultaneously whisking this all together. Be on top of it, because you want these to mix together as quick as it reaches the bowl. Add a couple more spoonfuls of hot lemon goo and keep mixing. After you’re feeling good about, go ahead and pour the egg yolk mixture back into the lemon goo saucepan, while you whisk that all up real nice. Turn the heat back to medium and cook until it starts to boil, just another couple minutes. After that, if you want, mix in 2T of butter to that. Butter tastes good. Pour the mixture into the pre-baked pie crust.
Meringue time. In a big bowl, mix together your egg whites and cream of tartar with an electric mixer. I highly recommend using a whisk attachment if you have it. And even more highly recommended, get this thing. The Kitchenaid mixer is the greatest invention in the world.
Back on topic- Mix egg whites and cream of tartar on low for 1 minute. Then, increase your speed to high for about 4 minutes until some peaks form. Add your sugar and salt to that and mix for another 2 minutes. If you can turn your bowl upside down and it all stays in there, you’ve done your job. Nice work. Next, scoop the meringue onto the pie, making sure to effectively seal in the crust, (and hide the lemony secret). Bake that whole thing on the low rack of your oven for 20-25 minutes. At 15 minutes, if it’s getting too brown, put an aluminum foil hat on it. Try and keep the foil from touching the meringue, (good luck with that, ha!)
After cooking it, put it in the fridge and eat it cold. You should try to eat the whole pie in one sitting, because the longer it sits around, the worse it’s going to be. Invite 7 friends over and enjoy a nice slice of pie. You’ve earned it.