Daring Bakers Jan 2008: Lemon Meringue Pie

Greetings from Tasmania, an Australian island south-east of mainland Australia. I've been here with Quikong for over a week now. Lots of outdoor adventures, enjoying the fresh produce and relaxation. No internet, TV or mobile for most of our trip. It's been really refreshing. I'll write more about this wonderful place in my next post.

I have 3 hours before my flight back to Sydney and remembered that I have to post the first Daring Bakers' challenge for 2008, hosted by Jen of The Canadian Baker. So here I am at an internet cafe. I don't intend to be here long, so excuse this quick post. I have to hunt down more plump oysters and luscious cherries before I leave this beautiful island.

Jen chose Lemon Meringue Pie for this month's challenge because after all the holiday treats, she wanted something lighter. I've made lemon meringue pie heaps of times before and was excited to try a new recipe. I actually ended up baking this pie twice during the two weeks I was in Singapore because my family loved it so much. Jen, my family thanks you for picking this pie because it's my sister's favourite dessert.

I made a "standard" pie for the challenge (very un-daring of me, I know...) but you can check out my mini lemon meringue tart that I wrote about last year here. Do check out the other pies created by the other Daring Barkers here.

Kitchen Notes:
- Working in hot & humid weather:

I had to work very quickly because of the hot and humid Singapore weather. I also had to make the pastry by hand because despite Mom's vast collection of gadgets, she did not have a food processor. As a Daring Baker, I had to rise to the challenge - I froze the butter and that helped somewhat.

- Meringue oven temperature:

I also did not know Mom's oven that well. The photo you see is from my first attempt. On my second attempt, I used a much lower temperature to bake the meringue and was happier with the result.

If you still haven't made your own Lemon Meringue Pie, I urge you to have a go. Here is the recipe:

Lemon Meringue Pie
from Wanda’s Pie in the Sky by Wanda Beaver, 2002

Makes one 10-inch (25 cm) pie

For the Crust:

¾ cup cold butter; cut into ½-inch (1.2 cm) pieces
2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ tsp salt
⅓ cup ice water

For the Filling:

2 cups water
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup cornstarch
5 egg yolks, beaten
¼ cup butter
¾ cup fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp lemon zest
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Meringue:

5 egg whites, room temperature
½ tsp cream of tartar
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp vanilla extract
¾ cup granulated sugar

For the Crust:

Make sure all ingredients are as cold as possible. Using a food processor or pastry cutter and a large bowl, combine the butter, flour, sugar and salt. Process or cut in until the mixture resembles coarse meal and begins to clump together. Sprinkle with water, let rest 30 seconds and then either process very briefly or cut in with about 15 strokes of the pastry cutter, just until the dough begins to stick together and come away from the sides of the bowl. Turn onto a lightly floured work surface and press together to form a disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 20 minutes.

Allow the dough to warm slightly to room temperature if it is too hard to roll. On a lightly floured board (or countertop) roll the disk to a thickness of ⅛ inch (.3 cm). Cut a circle about 2 inches (5 cm) larger than the pie plate and transfer the pastry into the plate by folding it in half or by rolling it onto the rolling pin. Turn the pastry under, leaving an edge that hangs over the plate about ½ inch (1.2 cm). Flute decoratively. Chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line the crust with foil and fill with metal pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Carefully remove the foil and continue baking for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden. Cool completely before filling.

For the Filling:

Bring the water to a boil in a large, heavy saucepan. Remove from the heat and let rest 5 minutes. Whisk the sugar and cornstarch together. Add the mixture gradually to the hot water, whisking until completely incorporated.

Return to the heat and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until the mixture comes to a boil. The mixture will be very thick. Add about 1 cup of the hot mixture to the beaten egg yolks, whisking until smooth. Whisking vigorously, add the warmed yolks to the pot and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in butter until incorporated. Add the lemon juice, zest and vanilla, stirring until combined. Pour into the prepared crust. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming on the surface, and cool to room temperature.

For the Meringue:

Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Using an electric mixer beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar, salt and vanilla extract until soft peaks form. Add the sugar gradually, beating until it forms stiff, glossy peaks. Pile onto the cooled pie, bringing the meringue all the way over to the edge of the crust to seal it completely. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden. Cool on a rack. Serve within 6 hours to avoid a soggy crust.